When can a convex function induce submodularity?
The notion of sub-modularity you use is non-standard. Usually you consider set functions with domain $\lbrace 0, 1\rbrace^n$. But to answer your questions, the Lovász extension establishes the following relationship between sub-modularity and convexity:

A set-function $F$ is sub-modular if and only if its Lovász extension $f$ is convex. For a proof see Proposition 6 in [1]. To go a bit further, e.g. Proposition 2.3 in [2] establishes the fact the very set function can be written as a difference of two sub-modular function. Conversely, the Lovász extension of every set function is DC (difference of convex functions).

The converse is not true: Not every convex function restricted to  $\lbrace 0, 1\rbrace^n$ is sub-modular. Form your description I assume that you matrix is positive semi-definite. But it is not clear to me how you define the convex $f(x)$? With that information, you can start checking sub-modularity. 

[1] https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/file/index/docid/535950/filename/submodular_tutorial.pdf
[2] http://www.ml.uni-saarland.de/Publications/HeinSetzer-BeyondSC%282011%29-Supplement.pdf