Asperula rumelica, Boiss.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1976, Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae), Cambridge University Press : 10

32. A. rumelica Boiss. , Diagn. Pl. Or. Nov. 3(2): 113 (1856)

( A. montana auct. an Waldst. & Kit. ex Willd.?).

Like 31 but not caespitose, more or less grey-green, without non-flowering shoots at anthesis; stems 10-90 cm, erect, robust, sometimes woody at base; leaves 0-5-1 mm wide, the midrib often comprising more than 0.5 of width of leaf, the margin distinctly revolute; inflorescence elongate-ovoid; pedicels usually distinct and up to 2(-4-5) mm; corolla 2-2-5(-3) mm, narrowly infundibuliform, rough with dense, short hairs outside. • S.E. Europe. Bu Gr?Hu Rm Rs (W, K) Tu.

This very variable species is taken here in a broad sense. A. barthae Pénzes , Ann. Hist.-Nat. Mus. Hung. (Bot.) 31: 113 (1938) from S.E. Bulgaria (Strandža Pl.) may belong here. A. graniticola Klokov seems to represent populations intermediate between 32 and 27. A. attenuata Klokov and A. hypanica Klokov tend towards 3. There are further connections with the A. suaveolens group. (33-40). A. graveolens group (Ser. Graveolentes Klokov). Inflorescence elongate-ovoid, the branches squarrosely divaricate after anthesis. Corolla 2-6- 5 mm, pink to whitish. Fruit 1 -7-4-5 mm, usually densely covered with squamiform tubercles or short setae (rarely glabrescent).

A group of geographically vicarious species closely related to each other and connected by transitional forms; all grow in dry sandy places. 1 Corolla-tube at least 1| times as long as lobes

2 Stems often rough at base; middle internodes 3-4 times as long as leaves; corolla-tube 2-2| times as long as lobes

33. danilewskiana 2 Stems ± smooth at base; middle internodes l |-2 times as long as leaves; corolla-tube 1^—2 times as long as lobes

34. laevissima 1 Corolla-tube about as long as lobes

3 Stems robust; leaves rigid, straight; corolla usually shortly hispid outside

4 Fruit withdensesquamiformtubercles;intemodeson flowering stems usually fewer than 20, c. 3 times as long as leaves 39. setulosa 4 Fruit with dense, short setae; intemodes on flowering stems usually more than 25,1-2 times as long as leaves 40. littoralis 3 Stems slender; leaves somewhat flaccid, usually falcate; corolla finely hairy or glabrous outside

5 Fruit almost without or with only a few squamiform tubercles

37. leiograveolens 5 Fruitwithnumeroussquamiformtubercles

6 Plant glaucous; stems usually glabrous and smooth

36. diminuta 6 Plant ± green; stems hispidulous and rough

7 Stems hispidulous and rough only at base; leaves

(15-)25-30(-40) mm 35. graveolens 7 Stems hispidulous and rough throughout; leaves 2-16 mm

38. savranica