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The fruit anatomy of all eight
species of the genus Bupleurum L. mentioned in the most recent literature
from northeastern China was studied for the first time. The eight species
were divided into two groups based on the shape of the mericarps in transverse
section. The first group (round mericarps without prominent ribs) includes B.
longiradiatum and B. komarovianum, and the second group (angular
mericarps with prominent ribs) includes B. angustissimum, B. bicaule,
B. chinense, B. euphorbioides, B. scorzonerifolium and B. sibiricum.
The second group can be further subdivided into group 2a (large vittae, very
small vascular bundles) — B. euphorbioides and B. sibiricum,
and group 2b (small vittae, large vascular bundles) — B. angustissimum, B.
bicaule, B. chinense and B. scorzonerifolium. This result closely
supports the traditional classification system which was based on gross morphology
(plant height; leaf shape and size; involucre number, size and shape). The
only exception is that B. komarovianum should not be close to the
second group, but close to B. longiradiatum. Group 1 corresponds with Bupleurum sect. Longifolia and
group 2 with sect. Eubupleura; group 2a with ser. Ranunculoides and
group 2b with ser. Falcata. Fruit anatomical characters seem to have
potential for evaluating infrageneric relationships in the genus Bupleurum.

South
African Journal of Botany 2002, 69(2): 151–157