Bupleurum L.

56. Bupleurum L. View in CoL 1

Leaves simple. Sepals usually absent. Petals yellow, not emarginate; apex inflexed. Fruit usually ovoid or oblong. Ridges usually conspicuous; vittae 1-5.

1 Leaves perfoliate; bracts absent

2 Rays usually 5-10; bracteoles oblanceolate to ovate; fruit smooth 1. rotundifolium 2 Rays usually 2-3; bracteoles suborbicular; fruit conspicuously tuberculate 2. lancifolium 1 Leaves not perfoliate; bracts present, though sometimes deciduous

3 Perennials with a stout stock and non-flowering stems, or sometimes shrubs

4 Marginal veins of leaves strongly thickened and at least as prominent as the others 31. rigidum 4 Veins of leaves slender and all similar, or the midrib the thickest

5 Stems woody, at least at base

6 Leaves with a well-marked midrib and conspicuous, reticulate lateral veins

7 Leaves crowded near the top of the woody branches, from the apex of which herbaceous flowering stems arise

37. foliosum 7 Leaves ± evenly spaced along the stems

8 Primary lateral veins reaching leaf-margin; bracts deciduous 39. fruticosum 8 Primary lateral veins not reaching leaf-margin; bracts persistent 38. gibraltarium 6 Leaves with several well-marked, ± parallel veins; lateral veins few and inconspicuous

9 Bracts 3(-5)-veined 10 Leaves not densely crowded, the upper conspicuously longer than lower; bracts and bracteoles linear, not fleshy 36. acutifolium 10 Leaves densely crowded, the upper not longer than the lower; bracts and bracteoles oblong-lanceolate,

± fleshy

11 Leaves 3-6 cm, widest above the middle; pedicels

c. 1 mm 34. dianthifolium 11 Leaves 7-18 cm, widest below the middle; pedicels

2-4 mm 35. barceloi 9 Bracts 1-veined, or apparently veinless

12 Flowering stems and rays becoming hard and spinose, persisting for 2-3 years 32. spinosum 12 Flowering stems and rays not becoming hard and spinose, not persistent 33. fruticescens 5Stems herbaceous

13 Leaves with a prominent midrib and numerous, anastomosing lateral veins

14 Cauline leaves 1(-2); bracteoles connate for at least i of their length 4. stellatum 14 Cauline leaves 3-5; bracteoles free or very shortly connate

15 Stem hollow; lower leaves usually ovate; rays 5-12

3. longifolium 15 Stem solid; lower leaves linear to lanceolate; rays 3-6

5. angulosum 13 Leaves ± parallel-veined; lateral veins few and inconspicuous

16 Basal leaves linear- to oblong-lanceolate, or wider

17 Bracteoles linear to lanceolate

18 Stock with few or no remains of leaves; bracts 2-5

29. falcatimi 18 Stock covered with persistent remains of leaves; bracts (3-)5-7 30. elatum 17 Bracteoles ovate to suborbicular

19 Basal leaves usually 3- to 5-veined; rays usually 5-7

26. ranunculoides 19 Basal leaves 7- to 11-veined; rays usually 11-13

28. multinerve 16 Basal leaves linear

20 Stock with few or no persistent remains of leaves; leaves often falcate 29. falcatum 20 Stock with numerous persistent remains of leaves; leaves not falcate

21 Cauline leaves not wider than the basal; rays 4-5, filiform (S.E. Spain) 27. bourgaei 21 Cauline leaves usually wider than the basal; rays usually 5-15, stout (not S.E. Spain)

22 Stock covered with dark brown remains of leaves; fruit 2-5-3 mm 26. ranunculoides 22 Stock covered with light brown leaf-bases; fruit

5-6 mm 25. petraeum 3 Annuals with slender root and no non-flowering stems

23 Bracteoles broadly lanceolate to ovate, often overlapping and ± enclosing the flowers, incurved, aristate or mucronate

24 Umbels all with 1 ray 14. capillare 24Most or all umbels with more than 1 ray

25 Bracteoles with numerous, conspicuous, ascending and then abruptly recurved cross-veins 15. fontanesii 25 Bracteoles without cross-veins or with inconspicuous, ascending, not recurved ones

26 Bracts more than | as long as the longest ray

27 Bracteoles greenish-brown, with numerous slender cross-veins; margin narrowly scarious 11. baldense 27 Bracteoles yellowish-green, without cross-veins; margin broadly scarious

28 Bracteoles completely translucent, except for the veins 6. flavum 28 Bracteoles translucent outside the lateral veins,

± opaque inside them 10. glumaceum 26 Bracts less than J as long as the longest ray

29 Bracteoles without cross-veins 7. gracile

29 Bracteoles with slender cross-veins

30 Bracteoles subobtuse, mucronate 13. karglii

30 Bracteoles acute or acuminate, usually aristate

31 Bracteoles c. twice as long as wide 12. flavicans

31 Bracteoles c. 3 times as long as wide

32 Bracteoles translucent outside the lateral veins,

± opaque inside them; awn usually less than J as long as the wide part of bracteole 10. glumaceum

32 Bracteole completely translucent, except for the veins; awn at least | as long as the wide part of bracteole 9. apiculatum 23 Bracteoles narrowly lanceolate or narrowly elliptical to subulate, not overlapping, ± flat, rarely aristate 33 At least the lower leaves with the midrib forming a prominent keel beneath 34 Middle cauline leaves 5- to 9-veined; petals smooth on back 16. praealtum 34 Middle cauline leaves 3-veined; petals papillose on back

22. asperuloides 33 Midrib of leaves not forming a prominent keel beneath 35 Most umbels with 2-3 rays 36 Fruit conspicuously papillose 23. tenuissimum 36 Fruit not papillose

37 Most lateral umbels subsessile 22. asperuloides

37 All umbels distinctly pedunculate

38 Bracteoles exceeding the flowers, linear

20. trichopodum

38 Bracteoles about equalling the flowers, lanceolate or elliptical 18. brachiatum 35 Most umbels with at least 4 rays 39 Partial umbels rarely with more than 3 flowers 8. aira 39 Partial umbels with 4 or more flowers

40 Veins of bracteoles very prominent; fruit almost un­

ribbed, but with small, white papillae

24. semicompositum

40 Veins of bracteoles obscure, at least near apex; fruit distinctly ribbed, without white papillae

41 Branches numerous, short, erecto-patent or appressed

21. affine

41 Branches few, long, rarely appressed

42 Bracteoles lanceolate, distinctly 3-veined throughout

17. commutatum

42 Bracteoles subulate to linear-lanceolate, 1-veined, or

3-veined in the lower half only 19. gerardi