Notes on the Umbelliferae of France, with Special Reference to Poorly Known Taxa
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Elsevier - Publisher Connector South African Journal of Botany 2004, 70(3): 449–457 Copyright © NISC Pty Ltd Printed in South Africa — All rights reserved SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY ISSN 0254–6299 Notes on the Umbelliferae of France, with special reference to poorly known taxa J-P Reduron Conservatoire botanique de la Ville de Mulhouse, Communauté d’Agglomération Mulhouse Sud Alsace, 1 rue des Orphelins, 68200, Mulhouse, France e-mail: [email protected] Received 1 July 2003, accepted in revised form 30 October 2003 A multidisciplinary monograph of the Umbelliferae their phytochemistry provided. General remarks are (Apiaceae) of France is in preparation. Some new made about the methodology and approach that was records for the French flora and poorly known taxa of followed in a soon to be published revision of the this country are discussed and illustrated, and notes on French Apiaceae. Introduction The aim of this paper is to give a progress report on ongoing conditions described below induce different biological and studies of French Apiaceae, soon to be published as a historical processes, including isolation and speciation. comprehensive monograph. Some taxa are poorly known or Thus, the Umbelliferae of France comprises a great number poorly understood, so that a consideration of their of relict and endemic species, especially mountain endemics geographical distribution, ecological requirement and (on the Pyrenees, the Alps, etc.) and plants restricted to phytochemistry have proven helpful in improving the Corsica. accuracy of the flora checklist. Some comments are made Located at the western end of the Eurasian continent, and about the approach used and the general value of an bounded by the North Sea and the Mediterranean, and updated account of the approximately 200 species of stretching from Brittany to the German border and the Alps, Umbelliferae recorded in France. This paper highlights new France has a mixture of very different climatic conditions. records and poorly known taxa of the French flora and These are accentuated by 2 700km of coastline, extending includes general remarks on the method of revision, its from the Belgian to the Spanish borders in the west, and, in contents and the main problems encountered, together with the south, from Italy to Spain with the Island of Corsica in suggestions for future studies. close proximity. Moreover France has several mountain ranges: the Vosges and the Massif central (of the primary Phytogeography and Habitat Diversity era), the Jura (of the secondary era), the Alps and the Pyrenees (of the tertiary era), with the classic altitudinal A careful study of the geographical distribution and habitat gradient of ecological conditions. Geologically, the soils vary preferences of Apiaceae taxa within France together with a from acidic (sandstones, crystalline rocks, clays, etc.) to broad examination of herbarium material and field more basic (chalk and, very frequently, other calcareous observations have assisted in recognising new records for rocks, marls, volcanic and even rare rocks such as the French flora and distinguishing some species from their serpentine). close relatives (see below). Corresponding to such a great variety of natural In total, the French flora comprises about 5 000 species conditions, the French flora is very diverse. According to (Phanerogams and Pteridophytes), which is less than that of Braun-Blanquet (reproduced as Figure 1 from Roisin 1969) other countries, such as Italy (about 6 000) or Spain (about the country can be divided into five chorological parts: 8 000). However, its flora is representative of many climates • within the Atlantic province (1) of the Holarctic region (II): and their associated ecological conditions, most of which – the Boreo–Atlantic district (e), in the north; also extend far beyond the country. For the Umbelliferae, the – the wide Armorico–Aquitanian district (d) which covers latest French flora (Guinochet and De Vilmorin 1975) lists most of the territory, in the east as far as the Rhone 185 different species representing 79 genera, 12 species of valley; which have been introduced. This flora gives a choice of – the Pyrenean district (c) along the French–Spanish keys for seedlings, whole plants and seeds. The natural border; 450 Reduron • in the east of France, and within the medio–European species can be found (Bernard and Fabre 1996). This is also province (2) of the Holarctic region: the case in the ‘Euatlantic’ species well studied by Dupont – the ‘alpian’ district (d), in a wide sense; (1962), which are limited to the far western part of Europe. • in the south: – the Mediterranean region (I). Varied Uses of Umbelliferae Walter (reproduced as Figure 2 from Roisin 1969) gives a simpler division into four parts: The Umbelliferae are relevant in a number of very different – the Atlantic province (atl) covering a large western part scientific fields, and have many uses. They are of great of France, marked by the occurrence of heather moors, interest to taxonomists, florists, ecologists and and subdivided into two parts, the northern (N) and the phytosociologists, phytochemists, horticulturists, as well as southern parts (S); professionals involved in medicinal plants, aromatics, the – the medio-European province (eu mi) covering a great food industry and gastronomy. Recently, Pistrick (2002) part of the eastern half of the country and marked by listing 113 useful Umbelliferae, found 43% of medicinal mixed hardwood forests; interest, 21% food plants, 20% spices, 12% fodder plants – the sub-Mediterranean province (sm) which is a belt and 4% aromatics. In France, many Umbelliferae have been stretching roughly from Toulouse to Lyon, with mixed in use since the Middle Ages. The present multidisciplinary hardwood and evergreen forests; monograph in preparation includes the main elements of all – and the Mediterranean province (médit) marked by these fields rather than a taxonomic list with succinct Quercus ilex and Q. suber evergreen forests. comments. Such divisions only show the main features of the French vegetation, and there are many local ecological conditions Nomenclature and Typification which allow the occurrence of special vegetation. This is the case in typical continental elements of the flora which can be The Umbelliferae are characterised by nomenclatural found in the north-east (Alsace) because of the effect of the instability, especially at generic level. Workers on the family Vosges acting as a climatic barrier for the Atlantic influences, are faced with a highly complex nomenclature. In Europe or in the Causses region (south of the Massif central), a wide this has arisen because data on Umbelliferae date back to calcareous plateau where some Sarmatian and steppic the sixteenth century, and important changes in the arct 3 3 bor (W) atl (N) a 1 II a 4 miru e a eu mi 2 d d b atl (S) c b sm c sm 5 6 sm I médit (W) médit (O) 0 500km 0 500km Figure 1: Phytogeographical divisions of western Europe by Braun- Figure 2: Phytogeographical divisions of western Europe from Blanquet (reproduced from Roisin 1969 p. 21) Walter (reproduced from Roisin 1969 p. 29) South African Journal of Botany 2004, 70: 449–457 451 taxonomic concept for classifying the family took place in the plants of B. alpigenum seen at the locus classicus and eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This fact is intensified cultivated in Mulhouse showed very good diagnostic by the infraspecific variability of many species which has led morphological features (mainly amplexicaul leaves) and to a great number of infraspecific names, especially at the proved to be biennial. Bupleurum alpigenum is obviously a subspecies and varietal ranks. The lack of typifications good species, only known in France in a restricted area of reinforces this complexity. In the preparation of the above- the Alps. Nevertheless, the plant is supposed to be present mentioned monograph, it was necessary to try and provide in eastern Europe (the Balkans), according to some a correct nomenclature, with as many typifications as herbarium specimens. Once the full range of geographical possible, including synonyms. variation becomes known, the name of this taxon may have to be reduced into synonymy. New records and poorly known taxa of the French flora (Figures 3 and 4) Elaeoselinum asclepium (L.) Bertol. subsp. meoides (Desf.) Maire Anthriscus nitida (Wahlenb.) Hazslinszky (Figure 3A) This plant was relatively recently (1984) discovered in A true species but difficult to distinguish from A. sylvestris, if Corsica by Deschâtres. It was previously known from not seen in its natural habitat (cold and wet forests). Sardinia, Sicilia and southern Italy. The population grows Excellent distinctive features are given by Spalik (1997). naturally in a rocky and very dry habitat. Consequently, this This species is in fact very common in all the different species has a life history divided into two phases: a rosette mountain ranges of France. The chemical investigations of leaves in spring, and only a stem bearing the umbels in revealed the presence of the monoterpenoid trans-sabinyl summer. acetate to be a new diagnostic character for A. nitida, and the presence of the lignane deoxypodophyllotoxin (Figure 5) Kadenia dubia (Schkuhr) Lavrova & V.N.Tikhom. (Figure for A. sylvestris (Muckensturm unpubl.). On the other hand, 3C) A. nitida has a lactone (grilactone, Figure 5) chemotype which never occurs in A. sylvestris (Muckensturm et al. = Cnidium venosum (Hoffm.) W.D.J.Koch 1995). Kadenia dubia is a typically Eurosiberian species whose distribution stretches as far as central Asia. In the west, it Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffm. subsp. alpina (Vill.) can be found in Alsace (north-east of France) because of the Gremli semi-continental climate. This species was discovered in the wet, flooded meadows of central Alsace by Geissert in 1952. For a good understanding of this taxon, it was necessary to The plant was previously overlooked by botanists because use a combination of historical research, typification and of its late flowering time (August) when the meadows are field observation.