Orobanche minor Smith (1797: 422)

Piwowarczyk, Renata, Pedraja, Óscar Sánchez, Khutsishvili, Manana & Kharazishvili, Davit, 2023, Holoparasitic Orobanchaceae in Georgia (Caucasus): taxonomic revision, diversity, distribution, habitats and host range, Phytotaxa 604 (1), pp. 1-103 : 61-62

11. Orobanche minor Smith (1797: 422)

. Type:— UNITED KINGDOM (lectotype designated here):—1.. “... [S. E. England / leg. Sutton, C.S.]”. – 2. “See Sowerb. Engl. Bot. t. 422 / This specimen may be considered / as part of the Type! (R...[?])” (K000759346, the sheet contains two specimens of the same gathering, which we choose as lectotype). Heterotypic synonym:— O. minor Sutton (1798: 179) , later homonym ( Turland et al. 2018: Art. 53.1); O. concolor Duby (1828: 350) . Fig. 40 .

General distribution: —Native and/or naturalised in many parts of the world: Africa (native [Northern Africa] and naturalised), America (naturalised), Asia (native [Western Asia] and naturalised), Europe and Oceania ( Australia (naturalised) and New Zealand (naturalised)).

Distribution: —Most of localities are in the Samtskhe-Javakheti and Shida Kartli prov., on the rocky slopes of the river Mtkvari and roadsides ( Fig. 41 ). Apparently, Georgia could be the SE limit of its native distribution range.

Habitat: —Rocky slopes, roadsides, ruderal habitats, 500‒1000(1600) m.

Hosts: —In general, mostly on Asteraceae , Fabaceae and Apiaceae species, here on Anthemis cotula L., Chondrilla juncea L., Lactuca serriola L., Leontodon asperrimus (Willd.) Endl. (all from Asteraceae , and probably on other genera of this family).

Phenology: —Flowering May–June (July), fruiting July–August.

Conservation status: —Least Concern (LC). The species has a rather restricted distribution in Georgia, mainly in the central part of the country; however, populations are usually numerous. EOO is 5000 km 2 and AOO is ca. 100 km 2. Most localities are located close to roads, on slopes, on embankments or heavily grazed areas. In its global range, the species is often invasive in many regions and requires further observations from Georgia.

Taxonomic note: — Orobanche minor was described from near Sheringham (Norfolk County, eastern England, United Kingdom) by Smith (1797) based on material (parasitic on Trifolium pratense L. [“in fields of clover for the most part, to the roots of which it seems to be attached”]) sent to him by Reverend Mr. Sutton, who a year later (1798) would make a much more detailed description of the same species that he knew so especially well, also indicating that Smith (1797) based his drawing (t. 422) on the materials he had sent to him, although he points out some inaccuracies in the drawing, the description (e.g., length of the inflorescence), adds another host-plant ( Hypochaeris radicata L.) and some more locations for the species. Sutton (1798) also mentions the name of species described by Smith among its synonyms. We believe that Smith (1797) based his drawing (t. 422) on the specimen (“attached” to Trifolium ) that we choose here as lectotype.

S pecimens examined: — GEORGIA. Abkhazia: “Abchasia (Nordm. ex Ledeb.)” ( Boissier 1879: 512, sub O. minor Sutton ); Caucasus N. Sredias[?], Abchasien ... Lindemann (P02968681 - hb. E. Cosson [as O. minor Sutt. ]); ( Gagnidze 1999, sub O. grossheimii ; Eristavi et al. 2001: 60, sub O. grossheimii ); Samtskhe-Javakheti prov.: NE of Borjomi, Kortaneti, a slope above an asphalt road, roadsides, on Lactuca , Leontodon , 41°53’45”N, 43°26’55”E, 780–790 m, 31 May 2014, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Samtskhe-Javakheti, Lesser Caucasus, western part of the Trialeti Mountains, valley of the Mtkvari (Kura) river, between Atskuri and Borjomi, 17–18 kilometers by road before Borjomi, 21 May 2001, G. Schneeweiss & A. Tribsch (WU0022599); Chitakhevi E, roadsides, slopes of the Mtkvari (Kura) river, on Leontodon asperrimus , 41°47’57.7”N, 43°18’50.2”E, 840 m, 16 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); Chitakhevi SW, roadsides, slopes of the Mtkvari (Kura) river, on Chondrilla , L. asperrimus , 41°47’02.8”N, 43°17’40.4”E, 850 m, 17 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Borjomi distr., NE of Dviri, rocky slopes of Mtkvari river, on Chondrilla , 41°46’54”N, 43°16’00”E, 41°46’42.2”N, 43°17’19”E, 900 m, 2 June 2014, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); between Dviri and Chitakhevi, NW from Chobiskhevi, slopes of the river Mtkvari (Kura), slopes, roadsides, road embankments, on Chondrilla , 41°46’40.7”N, 43°17’16.8”E, 888 m, 41°46’28.9”N, 43°17’01.2”E, 870 m, 16 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); Dviri N, NW, rocky slopes, roadsides, road embankments, on Chondrilla , 41°46’45.8”N, 43°16’18.1”E, 911 m, 41°46’56.6”N, 43°15’46.2”E, 910 m, 16 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); Shida Kartli prov.: E of Uplistsikhe Cave Town, near Cafe-Restaurant Gamardjoba, foot of rocky slopes in the valley of the Mtkvari River, roadsides, ruderal areas near restaurants and farms, on Anthemis cotula , 41°58’00.5”N, 44°12’48.7”E, 570 m, 8 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC).

Figures

FIGURE 40. Orobanche minor. A–H. General habit. I–K. Flower, side view. L. Flower, front view.A. Representative habitat (Samtskhe- Javakheti prov., near Dviri). A–C, F. Representative hosts (A–C. Chondrilla juncea. F. Anthemis cotula). Photos by R. Piwowarczyk.

FIGURE 41. Distribution of Orobanche minor in Georgia.