al 
Tas. 8820. 
ATRAPHAXIS BILLARDIERI, 
Greece and the Levant. 
PoLtyGonaceaE. Tribe EupoLtyGoneak. 
Arrapuaxis, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 96. 
Atraphaxis Billardieri, Jaub. et Spach, Ill. Pi. Or. vol. ii. p. 14, t. 111; 
Meisn. in DC. Prodr. vol. xiv. p. 77; Boiss. Fl. Or. vol. iv. p. 1022; Post, 
Fl. Syr. Palest. et Sinai, p. 700; Halacsy, Consp. Fl. Graec. vol. iii. p. 69; 
C. Schneid -r, Handb. Laubholzk, vol. i. p. 255; affinis A. Tournefortit, 
Jaub. et Spach, sed ramulis sterilibus demum saepe spinescentibus, foliis 
multo minoribus, basi plerumque magis abrupte attenuatis, perianthii 
segmentis exterioribus pedicelli parte supranodali brevioribus vel eam 
aequantibus differt. 
Frutex 0°5-0°75 m. altus, magis minusve squarrosus, ramis sterilibus demum 
saepe spinescentibus novellis minute puberulis cortice vetusto griseo- 
brunneo vel griseo. Folia viridia, glabra, breviter petiolata, ad _petioli 
basin articulata ; lamina ambitu variabili, ab ovato-obtuso (folia inferiora) 
ad ovato-lanceolatum vel lanceolatum acutum mutata, 3-5 mm. longa, 
crassiuscula, reticulato-venosa, margine subundulata, ochreae internodiis 
demum breviores, dente utrinque subulato hyalino longiusculo. Racemi 
densiusculi, ad 8-flori in ramulis brevibus foliatis, pedicelli juxta medium 
articulati, 6-8 mm. Jongi, pertenues. Perianthii segmenta demum valde 
aucta, rosea nisi medio virescentia, 2 exteriora late elliptica, reflexa, fere ad 
3 mm. longa, 3 interiora erecta late orbiculari-cordata vel reniformia, 6-7 
mm. longa. Stamina 5. Styli 3, breves; stigmata capitata. Fructus 
trigonus, quam perianthii segmenta interiora subduplo brevior.— 
Tragopyrum Billardieri, Endl. Gen. Suppl. p. 54.—O. Starr. 
The Polygonaceous shrub here figured was first met 
with in the Lebanon by La Billarditre about the year 
1787, but was not described until 1844 when Jaubert 
and Spach named it Atraphaxis Billardiert in honour of 
its discoverer. The area of the species extends from 
eastern Greece to Asia Minor and Syria. It appears to 
be restricted to rather high elevations; in Greece it does 
not occur under 2000 feet above sea-level ; in Crete it is 
only met with above 4500 feet; in Asia Minor and the 
Antilibanon it begins at 4000-5000 feet. The Greek 
specimens of this Atrapltaris, collected by Zuccarini in 
Aetolia and Euboea, were described by Meisner as vari- 
etally distinct, but this author’s var. graeca, apart from 
OcropeR-DECEMBER, 1919. 
