Bupleurum.l UMBELLIFERAE. 557 



thickly covered with hooked spiny prickles, without ridges, vittae 

 many. 



SANICULA EUROPAEA, Linn. ; F. B. I. ii. 670. S. elata, Ham. ; 

 W. & A. 367 ; Wt. 111. t. 117, fig. 2 ; Wt. Ic. tt. 334, 1004. 

 W. Ghats, in the Nilgiris and Pulneys above 6,000 ft., in 

 Sholas and similar shady places. 



A perennial herb of wide distribution but variable, the S. 

 Indian form having the leaves acuminately lobed. 



4. Bupleurum, Linn. 



Glabrous herbs or shrubs. Leaves entire. Flowers small, 

 yellow or lurid, in compound umbels ; involucral bracts and 

 bracteoles usually present. Calyx-lobes 0. Petals 5, obovate, 

 inflexed, the apex emarginate. Disk broad, flat. Styles short. 

 . Fruit laterally compressed, slightly constricted at the com- 

 missure ; mericarps subpentagonal, primary ridges distinct, 

 sometimes almost winged, secondary or obscure ; vittae 1-3 

 in the furrows between the primary ridges ; carpophore 2-fid or 

 2-partite. Seed terete, sometimes slightly grooved on the inner 

 face. 



Erect, usually single-stemmed shrub up to 6 ft. high ; lower leaves 

 up to 6 in. long, cauline shorter, obtuse, all mucronate ; bracts and 

 bracteoles broad ; mericarps '3-'4 in. long with 5 corky ridges shortly 

 winged ; vittae 1 in each furrow between them ...1. plantaginifolium. 

 Erect perennial herbs up to 3 ft. high or even more ; bracts and 

 bracteoles narrow, 3-nerved ; mericarps semi-ellipsoid, 5-ridged : 



Leaves linear- oblong, obtuse at apex and mucronate, usually 1-3 in. 



long, '3 in. broad ; mericarps with 1-3 vittae in the furrows 



2. mucronoJum. 



Leaves linear, acute at apex and mucronate, up to -i in. long, *25 in. 



broad ; mericarps with usually 3 vittae in the furrows... 3. virgatum. 

 Erect slender perennial herb up to 1 ft. high ; lower leaves crowded 

 near the base, upper few, all linear mucronate ; bracts and bracteoles 

 lanceolate, hair-pointed ; mericarps semi-ovoid, '1 in. long with dis- 

 tinct ridges ; vittae 1 in each furrow, sometimes 3 at commissure 



4. distich opliy 'Hum. 



1. BUPLEURUM PLANTAGINIFOLIUM, Wt. Ic. t. 281 ; F. B. I. ii. 

 674. 

 W. Ghats, in the Shola Forests of the Nilgiris, above 6,000 ft. 



