What does convolvuli mean?
Convolvuli are the plural form of convolvulus, referring to twining plants of the genus Convolvulus — the group commonly known as bindweeds and closely related to morning glories. These herbaceous climbers are instantly recognisable by their slender, winding stems, which coil tightly around fences, hedges, and other plants, and by their distinctive trumpet- or funnel-shaped flowers, often white or pink. The name itself reflects this habit: it derives from the Latin verb convolvere, meaning 'to roll or wind together', a direct description of the plant's climbing behaviour. In practice, the term appears chiefly in botanical, horticultural, and natural-history contexts, where writers may refer to 'the convolvuli of the hedgerow' when describing several such plants collectively. Gardeners often regard them ambivalently — admired for their attractive blooms yet notorious as invasive, hard-to-eradicate weeds. Knowing the word is useful for reading older botanical texts and garden writing with confidence.
nounThe plural of convolvulus: any twining herbaceous plant of the genus Convolvulus, especially the bindweeds, with funnel- or trumpet-shaped flowers.
- Plural of convolvulus: twining plants of the genus Convolvulus (the bindweeds), bearing trumpet-shaped flowers.
"The hedgerows were overrun with white convolvuli by midsummer."
"By August the field margins were laced with the pale convolvuli that farmers call bindweed."
"She painted a tangle of convolvuli climbing the garden wall, their trumpets open to the morning sun."
Convolvuli is itself a plural noun; the singular is convolvulus. The plural follows the Latin pattern and is preferred in scientific and formal botanical writing.
"Several species of convolvuli were recorded in the meadow survey."
Those pretty trumpet-shaped weeds strangling your garden fence have a Latin name that literally means 'rolled together' — a nod to the way they twist around everything in their path.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of convolvuli
Convolvuli is the Latin-style plural of New Latin convolvulus, a botanical genus name taken directly from the Latin verb convolvere, meaning 'to roll, wind, or twist together' — an apt reference to the plants' twining stems. The verb convolvere combines com- ('with, together') with volvere ('to roll'), the same root that gives English words such as involve, revolve, evolve, and convolution. The plural ending -i reflects the standard Latin second-declension masculine pattern retained in modern botanical nomenclature.
Related word forms
How convolvuli is actually used
A botanical and horticultural term, encountered mainly in gardening writing, natural-history prose, and botanical illustration captions rather than everyday conversation. The plural follows the Latin pattern and is standard in scientific and ornamental usage.
Easily confused with convolvuli
Convolvulus is the singular form denoting one such plant, while convolvuli is its Latin-style plural used for several plants.