Orobanche inulae Novopokr. & Abramov

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 : 80-81

18. Orobanche inulae Novopokr. & Abramov in Novopokrovsky (1950: 323)

. TYPE:— SOUTH OSSETIA (lectotype designated by Piwowarczyk et al. 2017b: 134): South Ossetia, Java (Dzau) district, Ermani locality, right side of the Middle Erman gorge, subalpine meadow, on Inula glandulosa , 20 VIII 1937, I. Abramov (LE s.n. [now with the number LE01015362]); Ibidem, 23 VIII 1937 (LE s.n. [now with the number LE01015363, isosyntype]). Fig. 54 .

General distribution: —Greater Caucasus: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia (Adygaea and Dagestan), and needs confirmation in Turkey (Rize province) ( Novopokrovsky & Tzvelev 1958, Rätzel & Uhlich 2004). Caucasian endemic.

Distribution: —In northern parts, in the Greater Caucasus, in Abkhazia, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti prov., and South Ossetia, need confirmation in Mtskheta-Mtianeti prov. ( Fig. 55 ).

Habitat: —In Georgia in subalpine meadows, tall herbaceous vegetation, rocky slopes, edges of forests and shrublands, forest glades, usually 2000–2500 m.

Hosts: —On Inula sp. (Asteraceae) , here on I. orientalis Lam. [syn. I. glandulosa Willd. (non Lam. 1789); I. grandiflora Willd. ].

Phenology: —Flowering July (August), fruiting end of July–August.

Conservation status: —Endangered (EN) – B 1 ab (iii) + 2 ab (iii). EOO is less than 5000 km 2, severely fragmented existing at no more than 5 localities (4 provinces), AOO is less than 500 km 2, severely fragmented, existing at no more than 5 localities (5 known). Subpopulations are not numerous, usually few to rarely over 50 individuals, threatened by overgrazing and overgrowing.

Note: —See also comments below, in O. cicerbitae .

Specimens examined: — GEORGIA. Abkhazia: valley of the river Sakeni, subalpine meadow, on Inula grandiflora, Zaharov (Plantae Abchasiae, P.S. Panjutin 1913–1940) (LE); Mtskheta-Mtianetia prov.: Kazbegi, near a volcanic rock with a large couloir between Kazbegi and Pansheti, 23 July 2011, M. Podsiedlik [phot., need confirmation]; Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti prov.: Shovi, subalpine meadows with forested parts on a top of a ridge with the tourist path Glola – Udziro lake, 1.6 km S from the village, 42.6875742°N, 43.6667600°E, 6 July 2017, K. Chytrý, V. Kalníková & P. Novák (BRNU); tall herbaceous vegetation, forest edges, near the trail to Udziro lake, 1.5–2 km S of Shovi village, 42°41’27’’N, 43°40’04’’E, 2050 m, 18 July 2018, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); South Ossetia: Dzau distr., Ermani, right bank of the Middle Ermani gorge, subalpine meadow, 20 August 1937, I. Abramov (LE) [typus, attached Inula glandulosa ]; Dzau distr., Ermani, left bank of the Middle Ermani, on Inula glandulosa , 23 July 1937, I. Abramov (LE) [“cotypus”]; Ermani, N slope, Гора Цирхе-Цуб [Tsirkhe-Tsub Mt], subalpine meadow, 2300 m [attached Inula sp. ], 15 July 1957, I.S. Vitallo (MW0723454) [as O. anatolica ].

Figures

FIGURE 54. Orobanche inulae. A–D. General habit. E–G. Flower, side view. H. Flower, front view. J–K. Representative habitats (Racha- Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti prov., S of Shovi, near the trail to Udziro Lake). I, L. Host, Inula orientalis. Photos by R. Piwowarczyk.

FIGURE 55. Distribution of Orobanche inulae in Georgia (triangle—locus classicus).