Perennial herb, 10-30 cm high, with a woody base, branching basally, branches ascending or decumbent, rufous-fulvous tomentose, varying in density, patent or/and appressed. Leaves sessile, (6-) 14-30 x 3-6 mm, linear to oblong, oblanceolate to lanceolate, subacute to obtuse, villous, mid-vein prominent on the lower surface, leaf sometimes slightly mucronate. Flowers 1-3 (-5), sessile to subsessile in axillary heads, peduncles up to 20 mm long, decreasing in length upwards, finally becoming subsessile. Bracts linear to oblanceolate, acute. Bracteoles filiform. Sepals 4-7 mm long, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, acuminate, villous, proximally convex and colourless, distally green, the outer sepals longer, the inner short. Corolla 10-12 mm long. Style slender, glabrous, stigma 2-3 times the length of the style, filiform. Capsule glabrous, somewhat scarious, bilocular, subglobose, 3 mm in diameter. Seeds 2-4, brown-black, c. 2 mm long, sparsely to densely white pubescent.

Fl. Per.: Jan.-April Fr. Per.: April-May.

Type: Forskal herb. 438, Yemen Mor, (lecto.: C).

B-7 Rawalpindi, Stewart 13765 (RAW), id ., Stewart 7037 (K), id., Stewart, Nasir & Siddiqi 267 (RAW), Rawalpindi, Aitchison 481 (RAW), Saidpur, M. Nath 143 (RAW), C-6 Peshawar Cantt., E. Nasir & Siddiqi 476 (RAW), Islamia College, 25.5.1939, S.A. Lodhi s.n. (RAW), C-8 Sialkot Dist.: Maralla Barrage, Y.& I. Nasir 7548 (RAW), Baluchistan : D-4 Pishin, 8.8.1956, B.M. Zaman s.n. (PPFI-B), Gumbaz to Barkhan, Lamond 1344 (E), D-6 D.G. Khan, Coll. ignot 115 (KUH), Bakkhar, March 1957, A.H. &Z.A. Khan s.n. (PPF1- B), D.I.K., Tank, coll. ignot 7176 (E), D-7 Lyallpur, R.R. & I.D. Stewart 1481 1/2 (RAW), D-8 Kala Shah Kako, 24.5.1957, A.H. Khan s.n. (PPFI-B), E-4 Baluchistan: Kalat Dist.: rd. to Mastung, May 1959, S.A. Lodhi s.n. (RAW), Kalat, Khuzdar to Wad, Lamond 206 (E), F-5 Nawab Shah, Jafri 4020 (KUH), G-2 Gwader, 3 miles from rest house, Sultanul Abedin & Ibrar Hussain 6403 (KUH), G-4 Sind: Thano Butte Khan, 20.2.1959, S.I. Ali s.n. (KUH), 7 miles from Dhabeji on way to Thatta, Qaiser, Saeed Qureshi & Asad 466 (KUH), Karachi, Drigh rd., A.R.Beg 25687 (RAW), Mango Pir, 18.2.1957, A. Qureshi s.n. (RAW), nr. Karachi, Stearn 40 (K), Jemidar ka Landa, nr. Kurrachee, (Karachi), Stocks 82 (K), Jafri 863 (E), 1450 (E). C-7 Gujrat, Dalzell s.n. (K), Jhelum, Drummond 14701 (K), Tera, 13.11.1938, Parker s.n. (K).

Distribution: Egypt to Pakistan and India.

Common on open, waste, dry and sandy soils throughout the Punjab plains, Karachi, Sind and Baluchistan areas. A species very variable in pubescence, size and shape of leaf and length of peduneles.

Convolvulus prostratus was misidentified and given as a synonym of Convolvulus pentapetaloides L. by Vahl (Sym. 2:36.1791). The 2 however are distinct (Sa’ad, l.c. 193), being geographically separated as well. Convolvulus prostratus is a Saharo-Sindian species, wh ile Convolvulus pentapetaloides is a Mediterranean species. Convolvulus prostratus has also been equated with Convolvulus microphyllus Sieb. ex Spreng (Sa’ad, l.c.).

A specimen at Edinburgh from Sibi, Baluchistan, Lace 3397 and determined by Sa’ad as Convolvulus cancerianus Abdallah & Sa’ad (a species from Egypt and Arabia) is probably referable to Convolvulus prostratus.

The plant is eaten by cattle, used as a vegetable and as a coolant in hot weather.