Orobanche raddeana Beck (1890: 194)

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 : 56-58

9. Orobanche raddeana Beck (1890: 194)

. Type:— GEORGIA (lost original material (see Rätzel et al. 2018c in “Notes” below)): Tuschetia [Tusheti, Kakheti, Georgia, northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountains], prope Dshwari Woseli [Jvarboseli / Dzhvarboseli, 42°25’8.3064’’N, 45°29’54.096’’E, c. 1919 m], Julio 1876 (leg. Radde). Viidi exempl. laesa in herb. Trautvetter, Petrop. (LE). Homotypic synonym:— O. alba var. raddeana (Beck) Beck in Engler (1930: 154). Heterotypic synonym:— O. campanulae Rätzel, Ristow & Uhlich in Haussknechtia 14: 10, f. 5-15, 17 (2018b). Fig. 36 .

General distribution: —Caucasus: Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan. Needs confirmation in other Caucasian countries and nearby surrounding areas such as Turkey (Gümüşane) and Iran (Talysh Mountains). Endemic to the Caucasus.

Distribution: —Mainly in the northern parts, in the Greater Caucasus, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Kakheti provinces, and in the South Ossetia, as well as in the Lesser Caucasus in the Samtskhe-Javakheti prov. ( Fig. 37 ). Dmitryeva (1990) also cites O. raddeana for Adjara, but this needs confirmation.

Habitat: —Rocky slopes, subalpine meadows, rock ledges, edges of forests and shrublands, forest, usually (800)2000‒2500(2700) m.

Hosts: —On Campanulaceae ( Campanula L., Asyneuma Griseb. & Schenk ), here on C. alliariifolia Willd. , C. collina Sims , C. tridentata Schreb. (new species host), A. campanuloides (Sims) Bornm. (new genus host for this species).

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

Conservation status: —Near Threatened (NT). Species is known to occur in fewer than 20 localities and subpopulations are fragmented, do not consist of numerous individuals. EOO is 25,000 km 2 and AOO is ca. 500 km 2. The most common threats are related to habitat degradation, overgrazing and overgrowing, as well as with landslides.

Notes: — Beck (1890: 194) described this species from Dshwari Woseli [Jvarboseli / Dzhvarboseli, Tuschetia, Kakheti, Georgia]. His description is based on a single Radde gathering and indicates that he had seen the original material in LE (“Viidi exempl. Laesa [deteriorated] in herb. Trautvetter, Petrop. [LE - Herbarium Petropolitanum])”. Novopokrovsky & Tzvelev (1958: 96) supposed (“?”) that the type of O. raddeana was present in the Herbarium St. Petersburg - Leningrad (LE) according to Beck’s indication. However, it has been stated by Dr. Irina Illarionova that the type is not present in LE ( Rätzel et al. 2018c); apparently, it has been lost. Therefore, it is impossible to know which species belonged to the original material now lost. Recently, the name O. raddeana was changed as a new species, O. campanulae Rätzel et al. ( Rätzel et al. 2018c) , but in our opinion—despite the correction of their studies on this taxon—the traditional interpretation of the name of O. raddeana is valid and must be retained in order to avoid disadvantageous nomenclatural changes entailed by the strict application of the rules ( Turland et al. 2018: Art. 14). For this reason, the authors of the new species ( O. campanulae ) should propose the conservation of the name O. raddeana choosing a neotype according to ICN, even though other Caucasian names could have priority ( Sánchez Pedraja et al. 2016 +).

Specimens examined: — GEORGIA. Kakheti prov.: Tuschetia [Tusheti, northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountains], prope Dshwari Woseli [Jvarboseli / Dzhvarboseli, 42°25’8.3064’’N, 45°29’54.096’’E, ca. 1919 m ( Rätzel et al. 2018c)], Julio 1876 (leg. Radde). Viidi exempl. laesa in herb. Trautvetter, Petrop. [LE - Herbarium Petropolitanum])” ( Beck 1890: 194, loc. class. of O. raddeana ); “Tuschetia, prope Dshwari Woseli [Jvarboseli / Dzhvarboseli ( Rätzel et al. 2018c)], m. Julio 1876 (Radde in herb. Petropol.)” ( Beck 1930: 155, loc. class. of O. alba var. raddeana ); Mtskheta-Mtianeti prov.: Voenno-Gruzinskaya Doroga [The Georgian Military Road, Georgian Military Highway, Sakartvelos samkhedro gza], station Kazbek, in shrublands, 1 August 1904, Anonymous (LE, after Rätzel et al. 2018c); distr. Tianeti, in decliv. vicin. Khashari [42.204535°, 44.982483°], 12 July 1962, Melikischvili (TGM13580, TGM13581) [as O. lutea by Melikischvili]; distr. Tianeti, ad rip. fl. Iorae [the right bank of the river Iori, ca. 42.144791°, 44.976325°], in silva, 13 July 1958, M. Melikischvili (TGM8169) [as O. lutea by Melikischvili]; Chevsurethi [Khevsureti], in reg. subalp. prop. pag. Giorgtsminda, 3 August 1967, D. Otschiauri (TGM55650); Gveleti, rocky slopes in gorge to the waterfall, on Asyneuma , 42°42’15’’N, 44°37’23’’E, 1500–1600 m, 18 July 2015, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Greater Caucasus, from church Tsminda Sameba in direction of Mt. Kasbek, 42°39’53’’N, 44°35’00’’E, on Campanula cf. collina, 2390 –2650 m, 19 July 2002, G. Schneeweiss et al. (WU032467, sub O. raddeana , after Rätzel et al. 2018c); Stepancminda, near Gergeti Trinity Church, 22 July 2011, M. Podsiedlik [phot., KTC]; Stepancminda, below Gergeti Trinity Church, rocky slopes, subalpine grasslands, on Campanula , 42°39’41’’N, 44°37’14’’E, 2120 m, 18 July 2015, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); near Kazbegi (Stepancminda), July 2011, M. Podsiedlik [phot.]; Mtskheta-Mtianeti, eastern slope close to Baidarar [Bidara] river, 2 km NE below Jvaris ugheltekhili (Cross pass), 42°32’05’’N, 44°28’31’’E, 2220–2300 m, on C. collina (attachment verified), 21 July 2002, G.M. Schneeweiss et al. (WU027658, WU027657); N of Gudauri, near Jvari pass, subalpine meadows, rocky slopes opposite travertines, 42°31’58’’N, 44°28’30’’E, 2250 m, 19 July 2015, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Kazbegi, Truso Valley, mountain meadow on the slope, on Campanula sp. , 42°35’5.2’’N, 44°27’36.2’’E, 16 June 2019, G. Łazarski (KTC); Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti prov.: Racha-Lechkhumi, Greater Caucasus, from Shovi along the road to Mamisoni pass above tree line, 42°40’45’’N, 43°43’40’’E, 1860 m, 2280–2500 m, partly on C. alliariifolia Willd. s. l., 13 July 2002, G.M. Schneeweiss et al. (WU032443, WU032444, WU032445, WU032446, WU032447, WU032448, WU032449); W of Glola, slopes on the road, edges of forest, shrublands, 42°42’10’’N, 43°36’34’’E, 1225 m, on Campanula , 15 July 2015, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Samtskhe-Javakheti prov.: Mlashe, slopes, edges of shrublands and forests, above asphalt road, on C. alliariifolia , 41°40’47’’N, 42°40’20’’E, 1170 m, 13 July 2015, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Borjomi, Borjomi Central Park, gorge in deciduous forest in Borjomula river valley, overgrown rock near the bridge, on Campanula , 41°49’55.1”N, 43°23’37.4”E, 830 m, 14 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); between Dviri and Chitakhevi, NW from Chobiskhevi, slopes of the river Mtkvari (Kura), rocky slopes, especially rock ledges, on a sharp bend of the road, on Campanula , 41°46’45.0”N, 43°17’40.1”E, 876 m, 16 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); South Ossetia: Kamiennik between Ermani and Britata gorge, open area in a birch forest, 15 July 1937, I. Abramov (LE) [attached to Campanula sp. ]; South Ossetia, distr. Dzau (= Dshav, Java), ca. Ermani, tract Fasrakh, 23 July 1937, I. Abramov (LE); Ibidem, tract Erman, herbaceous slope above settlement Medikak-kau, 19 July 1936, V. Kreczetovicz (LE); Schida Kartli, South Ossetia, “Koschka” (= Koshka, Kusdjyta), “ad fl. Didi Liachova” (= Didi Liachwi, Bolshaya Lyakhva), 16 April 1881, A.H. & V.F. Brotherus (LE) ; Schida Kartli, South Ossetia, tract Roksko’e (= Rukh), gorge Rabin-ugardan, meadows, 1950 m, 23 July 1929, E. & N. Busch (LE); Ermani, right bank of the river Ermani don, E slope, subalpine meadow, 2300 m, 4 June 1947, E.E. Gogina (MW0723351).

Figures

FIGURE 36. Orobanche raddeana. A–E. General habit. F–H. Flower, side view. I–J. Flower, front view.A, K, O. Representative habitats (A. Samtskhe-Javakheti prov., between Dviri and Chitakhevi. K. Mtskheta-Mtianeti prov., Jvari pass.O. Mtskheta-Mtianeti prov., Gveleti). L–N. Representative hosts (L. Campanula collina. N. C. alliariifolia. M. Asyneuma campanuloides). Photos by R. Piwowarczyk.

FIGURE 37. Distribution of Orobanche raddeana in Georgia.