March I, 1908.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



177 



The Rubber Plant of Southern Europe. 



By Professor Mattel and M. Gustave van den Kerckhove* 



FROM the most remote amiquity a certain plant which 

 is found scattered throughout the region of the Mediter- 

 ranean, including a considerable part of southern Europe, 

 has been noted for the viscid glue which it exudes. Dioscoride 

 (III, 8); Theophrastus (VI, 4-9); and Pliny (XXI, 56; XXII, 

 21 ; XXVII, 3) all speak of it at some length, designating it by 

 the name "Chamaeles'' [Chameleon], because of the different 

 colors it is said to take on, according to the soils upon which it 

 grows. In more recent times other savants have made abundant 

 mention of it, such as Onorio Belli (en clusio Hist. 1601, 301) ; 

 Fabio Colonna (Eiphr. I, 1616, 3) ; Prospero Alpino (Exot., 

 1627, 126) ; Paolo Boccone (Rcch. Obs., 1674, 190) ; and Tourne- 

 forth (Coroll., 1703, 33). 



This species was called by Linn;cus (Species plantarum, 1753, 

 892) Atractylis gumiiiifera. It was classed in the genus Car- 

 Ihanus by Lammark (Encyl. I, 1783, 639) ; transferred to the 

 genus Acarna by Willdenow (Sp. pi.. Ill, 1800, 1699) ; and to the 

 genus Cirselium by Brotero (H. Lusit. I, 1804, 346) ; and finally 

 it was placed in the genus Carlina by Lessing (Syn. Conip., 1832, 

 12). Cassini (Diet. 47, 1827, 509) classed 

 it under the head of genus Chamacleon. 



Without desiring to engage in any discus- 

 sion of classification which would take us 

 away from the practical object of this ar- 

 ticle, we will say that it seems to us that 

 this plant ought to be classified in the genus 

 Atraciylis; it is therefore justifiable to con- 

 tinue to speak of it by the name given it 

 by LinuKus. Description. 



For its description we deem^ it proper to 

 repeat that given by Bertoloni (Flor. It. IX, 

 1853, 62). It is very clear and perfectly ac- 

 curate, as follows : 



The root is fusiform, fatty, full of a resin- 

 ous gummy sap of an agreeable odor. 

 Leaves, springing from the root, numerous. 



mm) ' !v — *f ^ — ^^ 



•Professor Mattel is connected with the botanical 

 garden at Palermo, Italy, and Monsieur van den 

 Kerchove, of Brussels, is widely known as an ex- 

 pert in rubber. — The Editor. 



"Atractylis Gummifera. 



[The Rubber Plant of the Mediterranean 

 Region.] 



large, pale red, feathered or bipinnated. Branches, unequally 

 serrated with strong thorns, long, hard, green, sometimes glossy, 

 shining and crackling ; sometimes consolidated, with large, thorny 

 pectinate stems. Trunk, either non existent or very short, sim- 

 ple, covered with thick leaves like the others, the upper ones in- 

 dented and serrated on the whole lower edge, thorny and pec- 

 tinate. Head, very large, covered with bracts with thorny 

 toothed leaves, the terminal thorn alternate, of average length. 

 Calyx, hemispherical with scales lanceolate lined, extremities in 

 tufts or masses terminating in thorns, the edge being without 

 thorns, the upper ones not glossy and of a purple red. Corollas, 

 purple, with a long, slender tube, divided on the edge into five 

 parts with linear points and sharp hairs. Fruit, yellow, covered 

 with hairs and with a very short stamen. Stamen, very long, 

 white, shiny, with hairs fastened together at the base. Receptacle, 

 thick, yielding drops of a resinous gum which coagulates on con- 

 tact with the air ; of agreeable odor. 



The paleas of the receptacle have undivided articulations, or 

 are united and cut at the point. 



GtOGRAI'HICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



The Atractylis gummifera is frequently 

 found in continental Italy, in the Abruzzi, 

 Maleda, Tavoliera, and even as far as the 

 southern extremity of the peninsula. It is 

 found particularly in Gargano and Sila. as is 

 mentioned by Tenore (H. Neap., II, 1820, 

 194). It is very common in Sicily; Gussone 

 (H. Lie, II, 1843, 434) says that it is found 

 everywhere," it is also common in Sardinia 

 as mentioned by Morio (H. Sard., II, 1840, 

 436). In Corsica it was remarked by Gre- 

 nier and Godron (H. France, II, 1850, 279), 

 and at Malta by Grech Delicata (H. Melit., 

 1853, 20). 



It is very common throughout the Pelo- 

 ponnesus and also grows in Asia Minor 

 according to Boissier (H. Orient, III, 187.5. 

 451) ; in Greece it is found, particularly in 

 Epirus, Baeotia, Attica and Laconia, as is 



ffegiQTi of ihe A-fradylis gummifera 

 J ■ Pare 

 ^ - Abundant 

 3 ' Veru Abundant 



