Orobanche flava Mart. ex F.W. Schultz (1829: 9)

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 : 77-79

17. Orobanche flava Mart. ex F.W. Schultz (1829: 9)

. TYPE:— GERMANY (lectotype designated here): Monachii [M̧nchen / Munich / Minga] prope Ys. Hesselloh. 1818 (BR0000008550927). Homotypic synonym:— O. tussilaginis Mutel (1835: 349) , pro syn. ( Turland et al. 2018: Art. 36.1). Heterotypic synonym:— O. petasitis A.J.C. von Fischer (1847: 6) . ( Fig. 52 ).

General distribution: —Western Europe, from France to southern, central and eastern Europe to the Caucasus.

Distribution: —Single localities in the northern part in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti provinces, probably also in South Ossetia, rarely in the southwestern part in Adjara ( Fig. 53 ).

Habitat: —Tall, humid, herbaceous vegetation, forest and streams edges, rarely naturalized in some botanical gardens.

Hosts: —Parasitic only on Asteraceae , mainly on Petasites sp. , here on P. albus (L.) Gaertn. (≡ Tussilago alba L.).

Phenology: —Flowering (June) July–August, fruiting (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 (5 provinces), AOO is less than 500 km 2, severely fragmented, existing at no more than 5 localities (4 known). Subpopulations are not numerous. However the species still requires further research regarding its distribution.

Taxonomic Note:— Schultz (1829) published the binomial on the material of the Martius Herbarium “ O. flava Martius Herbarium ” based on which we choose the lectotype.

Lectotype (here designated):—1. “... Orobanche caryophyllacea ... / Orobanche flava / mihi / cfr. Schedulas / Monachii [M̧nchen / Munich / Minga] prope / Ys. Hesselloh. 1818”. – 2. “ Orobanche flava Martius / M̧nchen: bei Geisel / gasteig [Geiselgasteig, located on the high banks of the Isar in the north of the Gŗnwald municipality] auf Petasites niveus [ P. niveus (Vill.) Baumg. ≡ Tussilago nivea Vill. ] / Nascendo Juli [s.d., leg. C. von Martius]” – 3. “ Orobanche caryophyllacea major L. / O. caule superne attenuato... [description] … / Orobanche flava mihi. / O. caule superne vix tenuiore ... [description] …” (BR 0000008550927 [the sheet contains three specimens with two different numbers, the lectotype is the central specimen of sheet (BR 0000008550927) that is accompanied by label n. 1, the specimen with the same number on the right side of the sheet is the isolectotype (label n. 3)]).

The original material was collected by Martius in 1818 near Munich ( Schultz 1829: 9), but Schultz confused the exact location of gathering indicated by Martius, as Koch (1833: 456) later points out.The specimen BR 0000008603609 (label n. 2) was also collected in the classical location by Martius but we cannot be sure that it is part of the original material of 1818, because Martius years later distributed material from his classical location (e.g., M0210013, P04419800) and this label does not have a date (year).

This species has also been considered African on the basis of the O. flava var. doriae Emb. & Maire ( Maire 1936: 252) , which was described from Morocco of the Grand Atlas mountain range. We believe that this taxon, endemic to Morocco and a parasite of the Senecio doria , must rise to the rank of species and be considered different from this European (Euroasian [Europe and Caucasus]) species. In addition to the differential characters indicated by Emberger and Maire, we can add that it is more graceful, less indumented in all its parts (shorter glandular-hairs), with less dense inflorescences, except at its apex, and flower erect-patent with, proportionally, more narrow tube. Besides, we think that it must be placed into O. subsect. Curvatae Piwow., Ó. Sánchez & Moreno Mor. (2017b: 133).

Orobanche doriae (Emb. & Maire) Ó. Sánchez & Piwow. , comb. & stat. nov. Basionym :— Orobanche flava var. doriae Emb. & Maire in Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat.Afrique N. 27: 252 (1936). Type:— MOROCCO (lectotype designated by Domina et al. 2013):— “Institut Scientifique Chérifien / Herbier / Orobanche flava Martius var. Petasitidis / Doriae Emb. et Maire Beck v. Mamagetta / Mgouna: bords du Mgoun à El / Kelaa, 1470 m / (in Senecio Doria ) 11-5-[19]33 Emberger / stigmate jaune - corolla jaune” ( MPU003678 - hb. Maire, lectotype); idem ( RAB034997 , isolectotype).

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

Specimens examined: — GEORGIA. Adjara prov.: Batumi Botanical Garden, on Petasites albus , 4 June 1962, A. Dmytrieva (BATU) [badly preserved specimen; as O. flava ]; Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti prov.: Great Caucasus, from Shovi along the road to Mamisoni pass [Mamison Pass], 1800–1900m, on Tussilago farfara (Asteraceae) [host need confirmation], 13 July 2002, G. Schneeweiss et al. (WU0032454, WU0032455); tall herbaceous vegetation, forest edges, near the trail to Udziro lake, 1.5 km S of Shovi village, 42°41’27’’N, 43°40’04’’E, 1960–1990(2000) m, on Petasites , 18 July 2018, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Racha, between Shovi and Ghurshevi, 5 August 1928, O. Kapeller (TBI) [as O. lutea ]; Svaneti distr., Tsana, right stream of Tsanastskali, 1700–1800 m, 21 July 1978, M. Mukbaniani et al. (TBI); Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneto prov.: Caucasus occidentalis, montes Egrisski khrebet [Egrisi range, Egrisis qedi, Samegrelo range, Odishi range], distr. Gegechkori [Martvili], in vicinitate pagi Lebarde, 1600–1800 m, 26 July 1979, V. Vasäk (W01031) ( Pujadas 2003: 391, sub O. flava var. flava ) [need confirmation]; South Ossetia: Ermani, 25 July 1970, Y. Menitskij (LE) [correspond also with O. cicerbitae or O. inulae , need confirmation].

Figures

FIGURE 52. Orobanche flava. A, D. General habit.B–C. Inflorescence.E. Representative habitat (Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti prov., near Shovi) and host Petasites. Photos by R. Piwowarczyk.

FIGURE 53. Distribution of Orobanche flava in Georgia.