Family |
Rubiaceae
Asperula breviflora
Boiss.
Leb. Syr.
Asperula breviflora Boiss.
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, Pl. CLII nº 6; 1983)
Life-form & habit: Pale green, suffrutescent perennial with a branched rhizome, forming multiple stems, 50–80 cm tall. Stems slender, rigid, quadrangular, very branched.
Leaves: In whorls of 6, much shorter than the internodes, narrowly linear.
Inflorescence & flowers: Axillary fascicles of 3–7 shortly pedicellate flowers; terminal flowers sessile. Inflorescence in a narrow panicle. Bracteoles oblong, finely ciliate, shorter than the ovary.
Corolla: Small, dull yellow with pinkish tinge, velvety, campanulate. Tube slightly longer than the ovate, somewhat acute lobes.
Anthers: Linear, dark, included.
Style: Very short, divided to the middle.
Fruit: Globular mericarps, glabrous and smooth.
Phenology: Flowers from June to July.
Habitat & elevation: Rocky habitats.
Lebanese distribution: Mi. Qrayyé, Hammana, Beskinta, W. of Douma, Faraya; Mm. ‘Aïn Zehalta, Falougha, around Ehden, Bcharré, Cedars, Hadeth, Col de Toghra, Qannoubine, Bân-Haouka, Cedars of Hadeth, Jabal Kneissé, ‘Aqoura, Ehden, Neba‘ Sannine, Jabal Barouk, Jabal Sannine, ‘Aïn al-‘Asafir, ‘Aïtou; Met. between Zahlé and Baalbeck, Zahlé, Ouadi-el-‘Arayech, Ksara, Qabbelias.
Syrian distribution: Qasr-el-Barrat, Jabal Sema‘ane.
Native range: Lebanon and Syria