Rubiaceae

G. incanum Sm. in Sibth. & Sm., Prodr. Fl. Graec. 1:91 (1806). Syn: G. orientate Boiss., Diagn. ser. 1(3):38 (1843).
Herbaceous to suffruticose, caespitose perennial. Stems 2.5-40 cm, prostrate to erect, obtuse-angled, usually hairy or pubescent, rarely glabrous, with distinct mainly basal short vegetative shoots bearing densely imbricate leaves. Cauline leaves in whorls of (5-)6(-8), (3-)5-15(-30) x (0.4-)0.5-1.2(-1.6) mm, linear to linear-lanceolate, subacute or hyaline-mucronulate, with hyaline apex to 0.4 mm, flat or margin ± revolute, ± densely hirsute (with patent hairs, 0.1-0.2 mm) or puberulent (with hairs 0.05-0.08 mm), sometimes glabrescent or glabrous, green or glaucous, sometimes nigrescent on drying; vein (0.075-) 0.125-0.4 mm broad beneath. Thyrses ovoid to cylindrical, with short lower branches or reduced and ± hidden by uppermost leaves. Pedicels usually equalling flowers. Corolla white or ± purplish to brownish-green, infundibular,
(1.5-)1.75-2.25(-3) mm, 2-5 mm diam., lobes lanceolate, attenuate at base, subcucullate, acute or apiculate at apex. Ovary and mericarps flattened globose or ovoid, rarely elongate, glabrous, pubescent or hispid, calyx teeth obsolete to lacking. Fl. 5-8. Calcareous rocks, scree, steppe, open grassland, 900-2900 m.
1. Stems (5-)10-20(-30) cm, ± erect, densely imbricately leafy at base, with distinct short vegetative shoots; inflorescence many-flowered subsp. elatius
1. Stems usually less than 10 cm, erect to ascending; basal short shoots usually rather obsolete; inflorescence ± reduced
  2. Ovary and fruit ± glabrous; inflorescence never hidden by uppermost leaves; corolla c. 2-3.75 mm diam.; leaves to 15 x 1.2 mm
   3. Plant nigrescent on drying; leaves hirsute with hairs longer than 0.1 mm, sometimes glabrescent to glabrous, ± shining subsp. incanum
   3. Plant remaining green or glaucous on drying; leaves often puberulent with hairs shorter than 0.075 mm to glabrous, ± dull subsp. centrale
  2. Ovary and fruit usually hispid; corolla (2.75-)3-5 mm diam.; leaves not more than 8 mm
    4. Inflorescence very reduced, often hidden by uppermost leaves; leaves 4-8 x 0.4-0.8(-0.9) mm, linear; stems to 5 cm subsp. pseudocornigerum
    4. Inflorescence projecting, not hidden by leaves; leaves 4-6x0.6-1.25 mm, linear-oblanceolate to -elliptic; stems to 10(-20) cm subsp. libanoticum
subsp. elatius (Boiss.) Ehrend. in Öst. Bot. Zeitschr. 98:454, f. 1 a-d (1951). Syn: G. orientale Boiss. var. cinereum Boiss., Diagn. ser. 1(3):38 (1843) p.p.; G. orientale Boiss. var. elatius Boiss., Fl. Or. 3:57 (1875)! G. incanum Sm. var. alpinum auct. p.p. non (Boiss.) Bornm. (1914). Map 113. Steppe hills, open forest, talus, rocky slopes, 400-2000(-2900) m.
Lectotype (designated by Ehrendorfer, op. cit. 455, 1951): [Turkey A8 Gümüşane] Armenia, in collibus incultis Gumush Khane, Baibout, Bourgeau (holo. W,iso. FI!P! WU!).
Throughout Anatolia. A3 Ankara: 35 km N. of Nallıhan, 900 m, Sorger 73-44-11! A4 Çankiri: Çankiri, 800 m, D. 21507! A5 Amasya: Amasya, 400-700 m, Bornm. 1889:923! A6 Sivas: Yildiz Da. above Çirçir, 1400 m, Tobey 2321! A7 Gümüşane: Bayburt Osluk Köprüsü, 1700 m, Tobey 2102a! A8 Erzurum: Araş gorge, 1700 m, Tobey 2102! A9 Çoruh: Ziyaret Da. between Ardahan and Artvin, 2300 m, D. 30272! Bl Manisa: mt. Sipylos (ManisaDa.), 900-1200 m, Bornm. 1906:9568! B3 Eskişehir: Polatli to Sivrihisar, 1000 m, Dudley (D. 36019)! B4 Ankara: Ankara, Bornm. 1906:3043! B5 Yozgat: 32 km from Sorgun to Çekerek, 1200 m, Coode & Jones 1592! B6 Sivas: 36 km N. of Sivas, Kunduz Da., 1800 m, Sorger 69-52-24! B7 Tunceli: 43 km from Elaziğ to Tunceli, 1400 m, D. 29140! B8 Erzurum: Kop Da. pass, 2750 m, Furse 3761! B9 Erzurum: Çakmak Da. above Karayazi, 2500-2900 m, Watson et al. 1630! Cl Aydin: Mesogis (Aydin Da.) above Tralles (Aydın), vii 1842, Boiss.! C2 Antalya: Elmali, Bourgeau 1860:133! C3 Burdur: Burdur, v 1845, Heldr.! C4 Konya: Konya to Beyşehir, 5 vi 1948, Reese! C5 Içel: Gülek Maden, Bal. 1855:584! C6 Adana: Nur Da. E. of Yarpuz, 1600-1800 m, Sorger 73-22-21! C7 Adiyaman: Nemrut Da., 2140 m, Sorger 73-29-44!
N. Syria, Transcaucasia, N. Iran. Ir.-Tur. element. This widely distributed subspecies of predominantly lower (montane to subalpine) habitats is very polymorphic in leaf shape and indumentum. Remarkable are extremely narrow-leaved forms from N.E. Anatolia.