Tas. 8157. 
FERULA communis var. BREVIFOLIA. 
Mediterranean Countries. 
UMBELLIFERAE. Tribe PEUCEDANEAE. 
Frruna, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 917. — 
Ferula communis, Linn., var. brevifolia, Mariz, in Bol. Soc. Brot. vol. xii. 
(1895), p. 207; a typo foliorum segmentis ultimi ordinis brevioribus 
(interdum brevissimis) differt. ; 
Herba perennis, gigantea, ad 3 m. alta, glaberrima, caule basi ad 10 cm. crasso. 
Folia ampla, laete viridia, pinnato-multisecta, laciniis ultimi ordinis 
tenuibus lineari-filiformibus, nunc 3-5 mm. nunc 10-20 mm. longis sed 
in eodem folio subaequalibus acutis; petioli foliorum basalium inferne 
longe dilatati, superiorum in vaginam amplam semiamplexicaulem 
abeuntes ; vaginae summae subaphyllae. Umbel/ae compositae in thyrsum 
1 m. vel ultra longum collectae, centrales breviter, laterales longiuscule 
pedunculatae, 16-24-radiatae, radiis subaequalibus 2-3 cm. longis, 
involucro nullo vel oligophyllo phyllis quam radiis multo brevioribus 
membranaceis lanceolatis. Umbellulae 20-(vel ultra) radiatae, radiis 
5-8 mm. longis, involucello mono- vel diphyllo, phyllis linearibus vel 
setaceis brevibus. Sepala ad dentes minutos redacta. Petala ovato- 
oblonga, lutea, inflexo-acuminata, integra. Styli divergentes, demum 
reflexi. Fructus ambitu ellipticus vel obovato-ellipticus, a dorso valde com- 
pressus, 12-16 mm. longus, 7-11 mm. latus; mericarpia margine dilatato 
compresso cincta, jugis 3 dorsalibus filiformibus, lateralibus 2 in marginem 
immersis, vittis in valleculis 2-3, in commissura 4-6; carpophorum 
bipartitum. Semina plano-convexa.—F. brevifolia, Link in Roem. & Schult. 
Syst. Veg. vol. vi. p. 592 et in Hoffmansegg & Link, Flore Portug. p. 416, 
t. 108, a. F. nodiflora, Guss. Syn. FI. Sic. vol. i. p. 353, non Linn. 
F. nodiflora, var. monspeliensis, Gren. & Godr. Fl. Frang., vol. i. p. 692. 
FP. Linkii, Webb & Berth., Fl. Canar., Phyt. iii. p. 160, t. 75. 2. communis, 
var. nodiflora, Fiori & Paol., Fl. Anal. d’Ital. vol. ii. p. 176. 
The plant figured here was raised from a rootstock 
communicated by Vice-Consul G. P. Hunot, from Safti, 
Marocco, in 1886, which flowered in December, 1892. It 
represents a form of Ferula communis, characterised by 
shorter ultimate leaf segments, which occurs along with 
the typical form almost throughout the area of the species. 
This area extends from the Canaries and Portugal to 
Constantinople and Syria, excluding North-east <Africa, 
The leaf chosen for the accompanying plate represents a 
condition somewhat intermediate between the two forms, but 
in other leaves of the same individual plant the length of 
the ultimate segments varied from } to } of an inch, 
Ocroser, 1907. 
