Orobanche caryophyllacea Smith (1798: 169)

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 : 48-50

6. Orobanche caryophyllacea Smith (1798: 169)

. Type:— ITALY (lectotype designated by Foley 2001: 230): “Gathered in shrubby hills near Valcimara [Valcimarra, Caldarola, Macerata Province, Le Marche Region], at the foot of the Apennines [Apennine Mountains], in April 1787 ” (LINN-hb. Smith 1087.23!). Heterotypic synonyms:— O. major L. (1753: 632), nom. rej. ( Turland & Rumsey (1997: 787–789; Brummitt 2000: 263); O. vulgaris Poiret (1798: 621) ( Piwowarczyk et al. 2019: 64); O. galii Duby (1828: 349) ;? O. quadrifida K. Koch (1849: 665) ; O. buhsei Reuter ( Boissier & Buhse 1860: 169) . Fig. 30 .

General distribution: —Europe (from south [except Portugal] to east of Europe, except the northern region [ Norway (alien)]), the Caucasus, southwest Asia ( Anatolia, Syria [Latakia District] and probably Iran) and Central Asia ( Tajikistan and Turkmenistan [Kopet Dag (MW0878199)]), its presence could not be confirmed in other Asian regions.

Distribution: —Mainly the central and southern (Samtskhe-Javakheti, Tbilisi, Mtskheta-Mtianeti and Kvemo Kartli prov.), and southeastern (Kakheti prov.) parts ( Fig. 31 ).

Habitat:—Rocky, loamy slopes, grassy slopes, steppe communities, edges of forests and shrublands, pine groves, roadsides, (500)600‒1300(1700) m.

Hosts: —Parasitic exclusively on Rubiaceae species, such as Galium sp. , mostly G. verum L., G. album Mill.

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

Conservation status: —Least Concern (LC). The species has rather wide distribution in Georgia (5 provinces), EOO is ca. 23,000 km 2, and AOO is ca. 2000 km 2. The most common threats are related to habitat degradation, overgrazing and overgrowing.

Taxonomic note: — O. quadrifida K. Koch (1849: 665) was described from Georgia (“Von K. Schmidt aus Grusien erhalten”) by the German botanist and according to Novopokrovsky & Tzvelev (1958: 92, sub O. vulgaris ) would be a synonym of this species; however, the authors of this article did not manage to see the original material. Another Caucasian species is O. buhsei Reut. (1860: 169) ; this taxon according to Bossier is just a var. of O. epithymum DC. in Lam. & DC. (1805: 490) [= O. alba Stephan ex Willd (1800: 350) ], but Beck (1890: 160) is of the opinion that it must be treated as a var. of O. caryophyllacea . The authors, after seeing the original material, which here is typified, think that it is only a synonym of this species.

Orobanche buhsei Reut. in Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 12: 169 (1860).

Ind. loc.: — Azerbaijan: “Im Alindschathal [valley of Alinjachay / Khndzorut River, near Khanegah village , Julfa District] und Dschagrithal bei Nachitschewan [Nakhchivan / Naxçıvan] auf Thymus serpyllum . Nº 345]” .

Lectotype (designated here): —1. “Herb. Buhse, Riga. / Orob. Epithymum β. Bushei / Boiss., Fl. or. IV, 509 / ... / N.º 345 / Im Alindschathal [valley of Alinjachay / Khndzorut River , near Khanegah village , Julfa District] und Dschagrithal / bei Nachitschewan [Nakhchivan / Naxçıvan] auf Thymus / Serpyllum , mai 1847 ”. – 2. “N.º 345 / Orob. Buhsei Reuter n. sp. ”. – 3. “ I. Novopokrovsky. Notae criticae. / specimen authenticum! (Syn.: O. caryophyllacea var. Buhsei / G. Beck / 1949.X)” (LE01015398 - http://re.herbariumle.ru/01015398 [record creation: 2020-10-01, Ivan Tatanov, from old scans], the lectotype is the bigger specimen on the left side of the sheet, the rest of specimens (six), apparently from the same gathering, we prefer to designate them as isolectotypes).

1. “435 = 345? / Orob. Buhsei Reut. ? = 345 / [leg.] Buhse / Dzhagrichay Thal [Dzhagry / Cəhriçay / ДЖагричай, Babek District / Бабек] 31.V.47”. – 2. “ Orob. caryophyllacea / var. O. Buhsei / det. Dr. G. Beck [m. Beck]”. – 3. “ Orobanche Buhsei Reut. / Isotypus!/... / 1960.III.11. Teste:Tzvelev” (LE01015399- http://re.herbariumle.ru/01015399 [record creation: 2020-10-01, Ivan Tatanov, from old scans], this specimen, revised by Beck, also seems to correspond to the original material (isosyntype?) although the numbering of its original label indicates some doubt).

Specimens examined:— GEORGIA. Kakheti prov.: S of Udabno, Davit Gareja monastery, rocky slopes, 41°26’56”N, 45°22’30”E, 700 m, 26 May 2014, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); S and SE of Kvemo Bodbe, steppe hills, 41°32.21’N, 45°54.081’E, 765 m, 41°32.351’N, 45°54.326’E, 750 m, 9 May 2019, 12 May 2019, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); between Sighnaghi and Tsnori, rocky slopes on serpentine road, 41°37.377’N, 45°55.858’E, 600 m, 26 May 2014, 13 May 2019, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Sighnaghi NE, side path from main road to Tsnori, rocky slopes, shrublands, 41°37.2’N, 45°55.8’E, 640 m, 13 May 2019, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); road between Singhaghi and Anaga, rocky slopes near serpentine road, 41°38.115’N, 45°54.605’E, 630 m, 14 May 2019, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); eastern Georgia, Shiraki plateau, Mt. Shavi-mta, W slope, Botriochloeta, 21 June 1949, M. Sakhokia (TBI); Kvemo Kartli prov.: on the road between Tbilisi and Kap’anakoh’i [Kapanakchi] (towards the border with Azerbaijan), W from Rustavi, 27 May 2002, G. Schneeweiss (WU0025914); Kojori E, slopes by the asphalt road (Iunkeri Str.) [(Yunkerebis Str.], forest edges, on Galium verum , 41°39’37.7”N, 44°43’33.6”E, 1215 m, 6 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); Kojori NW, NE of Udzo Monastery, steppe slope, on G. verum , 41°40’37”N, 44°42’11”E, 1375 m, 6 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); Mtskheta-Mtianeti prov.: prov. Tiflis, distr. Duset. [Dusheti], inter stat. ferroviae Mtschet et Karsani, in fruticetis, 3 June 1922, B. Schischkin (TGM8431) [as O. purpurea by Melikischvili); near Tiflis, Mtskheta, 700 m, on G. verum , 4 June 1949, I. Svietnikova (LE); near Tiflis, Mtskheta, Armazi, south rocky slope, Artemisieto- Stipetum, 4 June 1949, M. Sakhokia (TBI) [as O. lutea ]; road from Mtskheta to Karsani, rocky slopes near the road, 41°50.014’N, 44°42.784’E, 600 m, 5 May 2019, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Tsodoreti W, Trialeti range, Tsodoreti lake, slopes near the road from lake to the monastery, 41°45’58.3”N, 44°37’56.5”E, 41°45’59.3”N 44°37’46.8”E, 960–980 m, 10 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); Samtskhe-Javakheti prov.: Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kleiner Kaukasus, Westteil des Trialetischen Gebirges, Tal des Flusses Mtkvari (Kura), zwischen Atskuri und Bordzhomi, 17–18 Strassenkilometer vor Bordzhomi, Borjomi distr., 21 May 2001, G. Schneeweiss & A. Tribsch (WU0022608, WU0022609); NE of Dviri, rocky slopes of Mtkvari river, 41°46’54”N, 43°16’00”E, 900 m, 2 June 2014, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Dviri N, rocky slopes, roadsides, 41°46’56.6”N, 43°15’46.2”E, 910 m, 16 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); rocky slopes and roadsides near the rocky town of Vardzia, 41°22’41”N, 43°16’56”E, 1250 m, 3 June 2014, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); SE of Rustavi, rocky slopes of Mtkvari river, 41°36’20”N, 43°08’29”E, 1030–1100 m, 3 June 2014, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); steppe communities near the road from Akhalkalaki to Diliska, slopes of the river Paravani, 41°25’30”N, 43°28’24”E, 1640 m, 11 July 2015, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); N of Chunchkha vil., rocky slopes of Paravani river, 41°28’32.6”N, 43°23’42.6”E, 1370 m, 11 June 2015, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Meskheti, Akhaltsikhe, Fischer et al. (2018) [phot.]; Borjomi, foot of the rocky slope near main road and below cemetery, 41°50’13.1”N, 43°22’28.0”E, 822 m, 14 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); between Likani and Chitakhevi, roadside, rocky slope of the Mtkvari (Kura) river, 41°48’28.4”N, 43°19’47.0”E, 840 m, 16 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); between Dviri and Chitakhevi, NW from Chobiskhevi, slopes of the river Mtkvari (Kura), slopes, roadsides, 41°46’28.9”N, 43°17’01.2”E, 870 m, 16 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); Tbilisi prov.: Transcaucasia, Tiflis, in familus fl. Dabachanca [part of r. Dabakhanka gorge in Botanical Garden], 6 June 1920, A. Grossheim (ERE); Tiflis, Botanical Garden, May 1923, Boronot (LE) [attached Galium ]; the Chronicle of Georgia (or History Memorial of Georgia) monument located near Tbilisi Sea, dry grasslands communities, 41°46’18.5”N, 44°48’36.4”E, 490 m, 25 May 2014, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Tbilisi, trial from the Marabda Str. to the Turtle lake, slopes, rocky places, pine groves, on G. verum , 41°42’06.4”N, 44°45’50.1”E, 640 m, 4 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Tbilisi, trial from the Marabda Str. to the Turtle lake, rocky slopes SE from the Turtle lake, on G. verum and G. album , 41°41’57.7”N, 44°45’29.6”E, 41°41’57.8”N, 44°45’29.6”E, 740 m, 4 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); Tbilisi, Mtatsminta Mt., Mtatsminda Park, 41°41’43”N, 44°46’58”E, 740 m, opposite the carousel, xerothermic grasslands, thermophilic thickets, pine groves, on G. verum , 4 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); Tbilisi, Vake-Saburtalo, 41°45’51.3”N, 44°43’40.4”E, 12 June 2022, U. Simakova (phot., https:// www.inaturalist.org/observations/121458968).

Figures

FIGURE 30. Orobanche caryophyllacea. A–D. General habit. E–G. Flower, side view. H–J. Flower, front view. K. Representative habitat (Tbilisi prov., Tbilisi, slopes near the Chronicle of Georgia). L. Representative host, Galium verum. Photos by R. Piwowarczyk.

FIGURE 31. Distribution of Orobanche caryophyllacea in Georgia.