Galium anisophyllon, Vili.

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 : 32

112. G. anisophyllon Vili. , Prosp. Pl. Dauph. 20 (1779).

Plant greenish, brownish or blackish when dry, often not shining, caespitose, with stolons. Stems (3—)7—15(—25) cm, slender to stout, glabrous and smooth, or with patent hairs, scarcely reddish at the base; middle internodes often less than 3 cm, 1-2 times as long as the leaves. Leaves (4-)7-16(-21) x (0-5-)l-2(-3) mm, usually in whorls of 7-9, oblanceolate, usually 6-12 times as long as wide, widest in the upper | to f, usually abruptly contracted to a short hyaline apex; margin more or less revolute, with patent or retrorse (or rarely antrorse) scabridity, rarely glabrescent or with patent hairs. Inflorescence corymbose to broadly ovoid, few- to many-flowered; pedicels 1-2 mm. Corolla 2-4 mm in diameter, usually yellowish-white. Fruit 1 -2-1 -8 mm, nearly smooth to obtusely (rarely acutely) papillose. 2л = 22, 44, 66, 88, 110. • Mountains ofS. & C. Europefrom the Cévennes to Bulgaria and northwards to the C. Carpathians. Al Au Bu Cz Ga Ge Gr He It Ju Po Rm Rs (W).

A polymorphic polyploid complex. The cytotypes replace one another vicariously both ecologically and geographically, but morphologically are often scarcely distinguishable. G. tenue Vili. , loc. cit. (1779) (diploid), G. alpestre Gaudin in Roemer & Schultes, Syst. Veg. 3: 225 (1818) (octoploid) and others have been described as species. It is possible that a classification into subspecies might be made. Separation is made additionally difficult by the occurrence of hybrid intermediates with other species, e.g. in the W. Alps with 113 and 115, in the C. Alps with 103 and 90 and at lower altitudes of the E. Alps and the W. Carpathians with 111. 99 is sometimes very similar.