Phelipanche libanotica (Schweinf. ex Boiss.), 1972

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 : 26-27

5. Phelipanche libanotica (Schweinf. ex Boiss.)

in Soják (1972: 130). Type:— LEBANON (holotype): sp. nova? Affinis Phel. hirtiflora , bl. hell grau violett, N.º 453, Orobanche hirtiflora Reuter, Passh ̂he zwischen Ainata und Bscherre [Aïnâta and Bcharré], 2348 Met. Libanon. Septr. Anfang 1880, leg. Dr. G. Schweinfurth (G-Boiss. - G00150062 ( Piwowarczyk et al. 2019: 42)). Epitype ( Piwowarczyk et al. 2019: 42):— In Libani borealis declivitatibus orientalibus silvaticis, inter Der-el-Ahmar et Aineta, 27‒28 Jun 1910, leg. J. et F. Bornm¸ller [Iter Syriacum II (1910), no. 12240], alt. 16‒1700 m. s. m. (P02968070!, as Orobanche (Phelipaea) schultzii (Mutel) G. v. Beck). Basionym:— Phelypaea libanotica Schweinf. Ex Boissier, Fl. Orient. Suppl.: 357 (1888) ( Turland et al. 2018: Art. 46.5). Homotypic synonym:— Orobanche libanotica (Schweinf. ex Boiss.) Beck (1890: 116) . Heterotypic synonyms:— O. orientalis Beck (1890: 110) ; O. sogdiana Novopokrovsky (1950: 306) ; Phelipanche orientalis (Beck) Soják (1972: 130) ; P. sogdiana (Novopokr.) Soják (1972: 130) ; O. persica subsp. sogdiana Novopokrovsky (1950: 306) ; O. coelestis f. confinis Beck (1890: 115) . Misapplied names:— P. dalmatica Rätzel et al. 2017 [p.p.], non Beck (1890: 109); O. oxyloba var. dalmatica sensu Beck (1890: 109) et Rätzel et al. 2017 [p.p.], non Beck (1890: 109).

General distribution: —N.W. Himalayas ( India and Pakistan), Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Pamir-Alay ( Tajikistan, Kyrgystan [n.v.], Uzbekistan), Turkey, the Caucasus ( Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan) and Southeast Europe ( Cyprus and Greece [Peloponnese, North Aegean and South Aegean islands). Probably more widely spread in all regions of western and central Asia and to the west to Turkey and Greece ( Rätzel et al. 2018b, Sánchez Pedraja et al. 2016 +, Piwowarczyk et al. 2019)].

Distribution: —Specimens most likely indicative of this species have been found in a herbarium collection from Shida Kartli province, and probably also in Samtskhe-Javakheti province ( Fig. 14 ). However, the occurrence in Georgia requires further research, especially also in crops, e.g. in the orchards of Prunus , Vitis , etc., P. libanotica is abundant in countries bordering Georgia ( Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey), it would not be unusual for it to appear in another place in Georgia.

Habitat: —Needs further research. Specimens collected near Bebnisi, around which there is mainly flat terrain, mostly occupied by farmland, over 600 m elevation.

Hosts: —In its general range, apparently, exclusively on various species of Prunus sp. (syn. Amygdalus sp. ) ( Rosaceae ) ( Piwowarczyk et al. 2019), but possibly on other families too. In Georgia, the hosts require further research.

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

Conservation status: —Data Deficient (DD). In many parts of its general range, it is a noxious weed of important agricultural fields, infesting orchards, as well as wild species of Prunus . In Georgia, it also needs further observation in crops.

Taxonomic notes: —Now, in addition to what is indicated in Piwowarczyk et al. (2019), we can add other synonyms of this relatively variable species. Such is the case, in our opinion, with Orobanche coelestis f. confinis Beck (1890) , which was described based on materials not very representative of N Iraq and of the O. oxyloba var. dalmatica sensu Beck (1890: 109) et Rätzel et al. 2017 [p.p.], non Beck (1890: 109) typified on Turkish material.

The first taxon, which we now typify, was described by Beck (1890: 115) as a form of O. coelestis and later treated simply as O. coelestis ( Schiman-Czeika 1964: 10) , a species with which it has no similarity except in the common characteristic that the calyx-teeth are longer than the tube ( Piwowarczyk et al. 2019: 27, Fig. 14 ). This species was recorded from the same place as P. orientalis ( Al-Mayah & Al-Asadi 2017: 245) .

Lectotype (here designated):—” Phelipaea ramosa Reuter / Haussknecht It. Orient. / Pir Omar Gudrun [Shak-i Pira Magrun / Jabal Birah Magrun / Pira Magroon, Sulaymaniyah Province, Iraq] / Jun. — 1867 / 703”. – 2. “ Orobanche confinis m. / ( O. coelestis Boiss. forma Beck). / det. Dr. G. Beck [m. Beck]”. – 3. “ Syntypus for Orobanche coelestis (Reut.) Beck forma confinis Beck / [Typified by: J. M̧ller (JE)]” (JE00003915 - hb. Haussknecht). Isolectotype: “ Professor C. Haussknecht. It. Orient. 1867 / Phelipaea ramosa Reuter / ad rad. Composit. [?] Pir Omar / Gudrun, Kurdist. / dieb. June // 1870 ...” (P02982384).

Furthermore , of the second taxon we can say that, in our opinion, the O. oxyloba var. dalmatica typified by Rätzel et al. (2017) on material from Smyrnam [Smyrna / Izmir, Turkey (lectotype: JE 00015468; isolectotypes: WAG1141470, P02970915, P02970917, P02970919, MPU988877 , NCY0084649 )] seems to correspond to this species (see, e.g., plant up to 27 cm, inflorescence very dense, calyx-teeth longer than tube, corolla-lobes triangular-ovate acute to acuminate). The typification is correct and was made about one of the materials mentioned by Beck in his description, but we thought Beck described this taxon based on a mixture of materials corresponding to different taxa; therefore, if they want to avoid this synonymy, perhaps the authors of it should try to do so based on the materials mentioned by Beck from Dalmatia (gathering by Studnicka) .

Specimens examined: — GEORGIA. Samtskhe – Javakheti prov.: Daba [village near Borjomi], at 2000 feet, 26 June 1887, Akinfiew ( LE01015370 ) [specimen on the right, need confirmation] ; Shida Kartli prov.: prov. Tiflis, distr. Gori, prope Bebnisi , 29 June 1919, A. Grossheim ( TGM42206 ) .

Figures

FIGURE 14. Distribution of Phelipanche libanotica in Georgia.