Rubiaceae

G. paschale Forsskâl, Fl. Aeg.-Arab. 203 (1775). Syn: Asperula longifolia Sm. in Sibth. & Sm., Prodr. Fl. Graec. 1:87 (1806); Galium longifolium (Sm.) Griseb., Spic. 2:157 (1844); G. sylvaticum sensu Birand in Ank. Üniv. Fen Fak. Yay. 58, Bot. 1:277 (1952) non L. (1753); G. schultesii sensu Yalt. in Orman Genel Md. Yay. 96 (1966) non Vest. (1821). Ic: Sibth. & Sm., Fl. Graeca 2: t. 118 (1813), as A. longifolia.
Bluish-green perennial, with rootstock, rarely with short creeping shoots. Stems to 100 cm, erect to ascending, terete towards base, with 4 faint ridges above, glabrous; young shoots glaucous-pruinose. Leaves in whorls of (6-)8-10, (15-)25-40(-60)x 1.5-3.5(-5.5) mm, linear-oblanceolate, oblanceolate-oblong to oblong, mucronate to cuspidate or gradually acuminate, with several rows of minute antrorse teeth along the slightly revolute margins, glabrous, paler and usually glaucous and ± pruinose beneath, only rarely blackening when dry. Inflorescence lax, broadly ovoid, glabrous; peduncles and pedicels capillary. Pedicels 1.5-7 mm, suberect to slightly spreading after anthesis. Corolla white, cup-shaped to subrotate, (2-)2.5-3 mm diam., lobes ovate, obtusish to shortly apiculate. Mericarps broadly ellipsoid to subglobular, c. 1.25-1.75 mm diam., finely rugulose, + pruinose. 2n = 22. Fl. 6-8. Mixed deciduous woods, clearings, 70-2700 m.
Type: [Turkey A2(E) Istanbul] ad Constantinopolem,viii 1761, [Forsskâl] (holo. C-Forssk.!).
Mainly N. Turkey; local in S.W. & Inner Anatolia. A1(E) Tekirdağ: Yenice (S. of Inecik), c. 600 m, E. Anglia Exped. Fl 1! A2(E) Istanbul: Belgrad forest,A. Baytop (ISTE 20536)! A2(A) Bursa: foot of Ulu Da., 28 v 1896, Nemetz & Fritsch! A3 Bolu: Mudurnu to Abant, 1200 m, Akman 9375! A4 Kastamonu: Inebolu to Cide, 100m, Ketenoğlu 615! A5 Kastamonu: Tosya, Sekiler, Seni De., 1100 m, Kilinç 6405! A6 Ordu: W. of Ordu towards Samsun, Rech. 32960! A7 Trabzon: Melinganis De., 300 m, Hand.-Mazz. 991. Bl Balıkesir: mt. Ida (Kaz Da.) nr Kareikos, Sint. 1883:550! B2 Bursa: 38 km S.E. of Inegöl towards Bozüyük, c. 800 m, Ehrend. et al. 787-182-6! B3 Eskişehir: Türkmen Da., Çavuşini De., c. 1200 m, Ekim 2629! B5 Kayseri: W. slope of ErciyasDa., Gök Da., c. 2180 m, Çetik 4265! B6 Sivas: 36 km N. of Sivas, Kunduz Da., 1700 m, Sorger 69-51-19! B9 Bitlis: Tatvan, Kirkor Da., 1900-2700 m, Peşmen 3042! C2 Antalya: Ak Da., 2000-2500 m, Pamukçuoğlu 5063! C3 Antalya: Han Boğaz forest nr Geyik Da., 1585 m, D. 14691! C5 Içel: Gülek Bogazi, 1200 m, Kotschy 353.
?Bulgaria, ?Greece. E. Medit. (mt.) element. We have studied the type of G. paschale Forsskâl and have come to the conclusion that it is conspecific with G. longifolium. Therefore, being the earlier name, it has to replace the well-known G. longifolium.
Recent collections indicate a remarkable, still badly understood variation. Plants from Türkmen Da. (B3 Eskişehir - e.g. Ekim 2629! 2630! 2985! 3230!) differ in having extremely narrow leaves up to 6 cm long. Populations from Erciyas Da. (B5 Kayseri) lack a glaucous lower leaf surface. The same is true of specimens from Turkey-in-Europe, e.g. A1(E) Tekirdağ: 15 km from Saray to Midye, A. Baytop (ISTE 31927)! A2(E) Istanbul: 2 km from Binkiliç to Çilingoz, 280 m, A. Baytop (ISTE 30160)! These are hardly separable from G. bulgaricum Velen. and it may be necessary to unite the two taxa.
The occurrence of G. laconicum Boiss. & Heldr. in European Turkey, as indicated by Rech. fil., Fl. Aeg. 575 (1943), is very unlikely. The specimen cited (A1(E) Çanakkale: Angadere, Gelibolu, Ingoldby 463) could not be traced at K; it probably belongs to G. paschale.
Sect. Orientigalium Ehrend. Perennials with ± stout rootstock or with elongate rhizome, sometimes sub-shrubs. Stems quadrangular, with 4 cartilaginous ribs, glabrous to hairy, but never retrorsely aculeolate. Leaves in whorls of 4-6(-8), 1-veined, acute to cuspidate or acuminate, or obtuse, often with ± distinct hyaline apex. Inflorescence many-flowered, broadly pyramidal to reduced corymbiform or subcapitate; upper bracts reduced; bracteoles absent. Calyx teeth usually absent, but sometimes persistent and enlarged in fruit. Corolla 4-merous, usually shortly infundibular .to cup-shaped, rarely rotate, pink to white, rarely yellowish or brownish; lobes acute to mucronulate. Mericarps ovoid, rounded at apex (rarely subtruncate), subgranulate or smooth, usually glabrous, more rarely with adpressed or spreading straight hairs.
A difficult group of species, many of the taxa being connected by intermediates. Nos. 42-52 in particular are extremely closely related; for this reason most of them have previously been considered subspecific taxa of G. subvelutinum. The whole section represents an intricate polyploid complex.