Bupleurum bourgaei, Boiss. & Reuter Bupleurum multinerve, DC. Bupleurum falcatum, L. Bupleurum falcatum subsp. cernuum Bupleurum rigidum, L.

27. B. bourgaei Boiss. & Reuter View in CoL in Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Or. Nov. 3(2): 84 (1856).

Perennial up to 60 cm; stock woody, long, procumbent, covered with remains of dead leaves. Basal leaves crowded, narrowly linear, sessile, amplexicaul, dead at fruiting time; cauline similar in shape, few, remote; veins 5-7. Rays 4-5, filiform. Bracts 1-3, linear to linear-lanceolate, 5-veined; bracteoles equalling the flowers, lanceolate, shortly cuspidate or mucronate, 5-veined. • S.E. Spain (Sierra de Alcaraz). Hs.

Ripe fruit is apparently unknown. Doubtfully distinct from 26 (b).

28. B. multinerve DC. View in CoL , Mém. Soc. Phys. Hist. Nat. Genève 4: 500 (1828).

Perennial c. 50 cm; stock rather stout, more or less densely covered with remains of dead leaves. Basal leaves linearlanceolate, more or less distinctly petiolate; veins 7-11; upper cauline leaves linear-lanceolate to ovate from a cordate-amplexicaul base, often long-acuminate; veins 11-45. Rays (5—) 11 —13(—20). Bracts 2-7, ovate, acute or acuminate; veins up to 21; bracteoles usually exceeding the flowers, ovate to suborbicular, apiculate, yellowish; veins 5—9(— 13). Fruit 3 -5-4 mm, dark brown; ridges narrowly winged. C. & S. Ural, and some outlying stations in C. Russia. Rs (C,?W). (N. Asia.)

29. B. falcatum L. View in CoL , Sp. Pl. 237 (1753) View Cited Treatment

(incl. B. exaltatum Bieb. , B. olympicum Boiss. , B. parnassicum Halâcsy , B. rossicum Woronow , B. sibthorpianum Sm. , B. woronovii Manden. ).

Very variable perennial or rarely annual up to 100 cm; stock almost or quite devoid of remains of dead leaves. Basal leaves obovate, elliptical, oblong or linear, distinctly petiolate or sessile; veins 5-7; cauline leaves sessile, semi-amplexicaul, lanceolate to linear, often falcate. Rays 3-15, filiform. Bracts 2-5, lanceolate to subulate, very unequal; veins 3-5; bracteoles 5, linear-lanceolate, acuminate; veins 3(-5). Fruit 3-6 mm; ridges filiform or more or less winged. 5., C. & E. Europe, extending north-westwards to S. England. Al Au Be Br Bu Co Cz Ga Ge Gr He Hs Hu It Ju Po Rm Rs (C, W, K, E).

A very variable species which requires investigation before infraspecific taxa can be satisfactorily delimited. The two following are sufficiently distinct morphologically to merit recognition as subspecies at this stage, though more or less intermediate plants (e.g. B. parnassicum Halâcsy ) occur in some parts of their range.

(a) Subsp. falcatum :

Leaves elliptical to oblong, distinctly petiolate; fruit c. 3 mm; ridges usually unwinged. 2« =16. Throughout the range o f the species.

(b) Subsp. cernuum View in CoL (Ten.) Arcangeli, Comp. FI. Ital. ed. 2, 590 (1894):

Leaves linear, sessile; fruit c. 5 mm; ridges more or less winged. Pyrenees, S. Alps, Appennini , S. Carpathians, mountains o f Balkan peninsula, S. Russia. Subsp. dilatatum Schur , Enum. Pl. Transs. 253 (1866), is a tall plant, with usually obovate basal leaves and distinctly but shortly petiolate cauline leaves. It is known from Romania, Hungary and Czechoslovakia and has 2n = 32. It is not, however, clear whether there is a constant correlation between morphological characters and chromosome number.

30. B. elatum Guss. View in CoL , FI. Sic. Prodr. 1:316 (1827).

Perennial up to 150 cm; stock stout, woody, covered with remains of dead leaves. Basal leaves oblong-lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, somewhat narrowed to the amplexicaul base; veins 7-9; cauline leaves similar to the basal. Rays 6-14, slender, strict. Bracts (3-)5-7, lanceolate, acuminate; veins 5-7; bracteoles 5-6, much exceeding the flowers, linear-lanceolate, long-acuminate; veins 5(-7). Fruit c. 5 mm, oblong; ridges slender. Shady calcareous rocks. • N. Sicilia (Madonie). Si.

Subsect. Marginata (Godron) H. Wolff. Perennial. Leaves linear to broadly obovate, all petiolate; veins 3-11, parallel, usually with a conspicuous reticulum of small veins between them, the marginal strongly thickened.

31. B. rigidum L. View in CoL , Sp. Pl. 238 (1753) View Cited Treatment .

Perennial up to 150 cm; stems woody at base, with numerous patent or erecto-patent branches. Leaves coriaceous, very variable in shape; petiole amplexicaul at base. Rays 2-5, slender. Bracts 2-4 mm, 2-5, subulate, appressed to rays; bracteoles like the bracts, shorter than the pedicels in fruit; veins obscure. Fruit c. 4 mm, ellipsoid; ridges filiform, prominent. Dry rocky places. Iberian peninsula, S. France, N. Italy. Ga Hs It Lu.

(a) Subsp. rigidum :

Basal leaves oblong to broadly obovate; veins 5-11, with conspicuous small veins between them. Throughout the range of the species.

(b) Subsp. paniculatum (Brot.) H. Wolff View in CoL in Engler, Pflanzenreich 43 (IV. 228): 154 (1910):

Basal leaves linear or linearspathulate; veins 3(-5), with few, inconspicuous small veins between them. Spain and Portugal.