Taxonomic studies in some thymelaeaceae

Abstract

The work deals mainly with the morphological and anatomical investigation of some Thymelaeaceae occurring in the Mediterranean, S. W. and C. Asiatic regions. It broadly falls into four parts.

#1. Part A is a short introductory section, defining scope and aims.

#2. In parts B and C, the variation in morphological and anatomical characters is surveyed. This includes studies on the stem, leaf, in- florescence, flower, sex -distribution, fruit and seed, etc. Synoptic descriptions of five genera are given. The species of Stelleropsis and Dendrostellera are transferred to Diarthron, involving fifteen new combinations. The relationships of the genera are discussed and evolutionary trends in the family pointed out.

#3. Part D includes a taxonomic revision of Thymelaea itself. The classification proposed is purely phenetic in origin and is intended to replace the existing one by Brecher (1941). Four sections, seven subsections and thirty species are recognized. One new species, T. gattefossei, is described.

The thesis is illustrated by 65 figures, 9 plates, 1$ maps and accompanied by two appendices, an index and cited references.