Veratrum album, L.

2. V. album L. , Sp. Pl. 1044 (1753).

Stems 50-175 cm. Cauline leaves glabrous or subglabrous above, shortly pubescent beneath especially on the veins, the lower 10-25 x 6-15 cm, elliptical to broadly elliptical, becoming shorter and narrower above. Inflorescence a much-branched panicle. Pedicels 2-3 mm. Flowers 15-25 mm in diameter. Perianth-segments 7-15 x 3-6 mm, elliptical to lanceolate, white outside and greenish inside to greenish-white or yellowish on both surfaces. Capsule sparsely pubescent. 2/z= 16. Damp grassland, mainly in the mountains.

Much of Europe, but absent from the islands, the north-west and most ofFennoscandia. Al Au Bu Cz Fe Ga Ge Gr He Hs Hu It Ju No Po Rm Rs (N, B, C, W, E).

A highly variable species which recent authors regard as being restricted in the narrow sense to the mountains of C. and S.E. Europe, whereas V. lobelianum Bernh. in Schrader, Neues Jour. Bot. 2(2): 356 (1808), described from Switzerland, is recorded from most parts of the range given above for 2, and is sometimes sympatric with it. It differs from 2 in having the perianth-segments greenish on both surfaces and longer bracts, but other reputed differences in pedicel-length, flower-size and in hairiness do not seem to apply unambiguously to it and it must be regarded as of doubtful status. It has 2n- 32.

V. misae (Sirj.) Loesener fit, Feddes Repert. 24: 65 (1927), which occurs in Arctic Russia, is like 2 but has stems not more than 40 cm, leaves glabrous on both surfaces, and narrower (2-3 mm wide), subacute, yellowish-green perianth-segments. Intermediates, however, are reported between this and V. lobelianum .

Plants from N. Portugal and perhaps W.C. Spain differ from 2 in having glabrous leaves and greenish-white perianth-segments 8-10 mm. They may constitute a further species or subspecies.