Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, Medicus

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1972, Flora Europaea. Volume 3. Diapensiacea to Myoporaceae, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press : 72

11. V. hirundinaria Medicus , 7/Zjf. Comment. Acad. Elect. Theod. Palat. Mannheim Phys. 6: 404 (1790)

( V. officinale Moench , Cynanchum vincetoxicum (L.) Pers. , Antitoxicum officinale Pobed. ).

Stems up to 120 cm, erect or slightly twining, puberulent or subglabrous. Leaves 6-10 x 2-5-5 cm, broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acute, more or less pubescent, especially on the veins and margins. Petioles 5-10 mm. Cymes 6- to 8-flowered; peduncles 10-40 mm. Calyx-lobes linear. Corolla 3-10 mm in diameter, white or yellow; lobes ovate, glabrous or with curved hairs on upper surface. Corona-membrane up to I as long as the segments; lobes sessile. Follicles c. 6 x 0- 8 cm, fusiform, glabrous. 2« = 22. Wood-margins and open places. Most of Europe, northwards to 60° 30' N. in S. W. Finland, but absent from many of the islands. Al Au Be BI Bu Co Cz Da Fe Ga Ge Gr He Ho Hs Hu It Ju Lu No Po Rm Rs (B, C, W, K, E) Sa Su Tu. Very variable, even within populations. Many constituent taxa have been described, often as species. Yellow-flowered taxa occur mainly in the Mediterranean region and white-flowered taxa further north. 1 Corolla yellow 2 Corolla-lobeshairyonuppersurface; leavesacuminate 3 Stem subglabrous; corolla 3-4 mm in diameter; coronalobes obtuse (a) subsp. lusitanicum 3 Stem pubescent; corolla 6-9 mm in diameter; corona-lobes acute (b) subsp. intermedium 2 Corolla-lobesglabrous onupper surface;leaves acute 4 Corolla 8-9 mm in diameter; corona folded or toothed

(c) subsp. nivale 4 Corolla 7 mm in diameter; corona not folded or toothed

(d) subsp. adriaticum 1 Corolla whitish 5 Corona-membrane c. f as longas thesegments 6 Corolla 10 mm in diameter; corona not toothed

(e) subsp. stepposum 6 Corolla 8 mm in diameter; corona toothed (f) subsp. cretaceum 5 Corona-membrane not morethanI as longas the segments 7 Corona-membrane c. £ as long as the segments

(h) subsp. contiguum 7 Corona-membrane c. £ as long as the segments 8 Corona-margin sinuate (g) subsp. jailicola 8 Corona-margin abruptly lobed (i) subsp. hirundinaria