umbellifer^ 155 



Eryngium L. 

 Eryngium alpinum L. 



The Alpine " Sea-holly " or Reine des Alpes. A thistle-like plant, 

 with erect, striated stem 1-2^ feet high, bluish, like the upper 

 involucral bracts. Leaves ciliate-spiny ; root-leaves entire, 

 cordate-lanceolate, dark green ; stem-leaves amplexicaul, deeply 

 incised, and the uppermost almost palmate. Involucre blue, multi- 

 digitate, somewhat longer than the cylindrical umbel, and with stiff, 

 bristly teeth. 



Meadows and pastures in the limestone Alps, 5000-6000 feet. 

 July, August. Local. 



Distribution. — Switzerland, Jura, Western Alps, Carinthia, 

 Carniola, Bosnia, Montenegro. 



BUPLEURUM L. 



^ Leaves entire, simple, usually glabrous. General and partial 

 involucres various ; in Alpine species the partial involucre is large. 

 Flowers small, yellow or green. Petals hooded, with an inflexed 

 point. Styles short, reflexed. 



Bupleurum stellatum L. 



Stem erect, simple, with only one linear-lanceolate leaf em- 

 bracing the stem, or leafless. Root-leaves broadly linear, with one 

 longitudinal nerve, and reticulate lateral nerves. Involucre of 1-3 

 bracts ; partial involucre of 9-10 yellow bracts, connate to their 

 middle, the apices only free. Principal ridges of fruit with membran- 

 ous wings. 



Dry, rocky places in the Alps 5000-7500 feet. July, August. 



Distribution. — ^Tyrol, Carinthia, Switzerland, Western Alps. 

 Bupleurum longifolium L. 



Stem erect, simple or somewhat branched above, round, finely 

 furrowed, glabrous like the whole plant. Leaves with longitudinal 

 veins, acute, elliptical, and nmning down into a long leaf-stalk, 

 the upper leaves lanceolate or ovate, acute sessile with a cordate 

 amplexicaul base. Umbel 5-6 branched, general involucre 3-5 

 leaved, partial involucre 5-7 leaved ; bracts ovate or elliptical, 

 shortly apiculate. Ridges of the fruit narrow and furrows small. 



Rocks and stony places in the Alps and sub-Alps up to 5000 feet. 



Distribution. — Eastern, Central, and Western Europe. 

 Bupleurum ranunculoides L. 



An extremely variable species, subdivided into several sub- 

 species and varieties and varying in height from 2 inches to a foot. 

 Stem leafy and more or less branched. Radical leaves ovate or 

 cordate ; other leaves linear or linear-lanceolate. Partial involucre 

 often twice as long as umbel, but very variable. 



