Orobanche grossheimii Novopokrovskij (1949: 282)

Piwowarczyk, Renata, Pedraja, Óscar Sánchez, Moral, Gonzalo Moreno, Fayvush, George, Zakaryan, Narine, Kartashyan, Nune & Aleksanyan, Alla, 2019, Holoparasitic Orobanchaceae (Cistanche, Diphelypaea, Orobanche, Phelipanche) in Armenia: distribution, habitats, host range and taxonomic problems, Phytotaxa 386 (1), pp. 1-106 : 72-76

11. Orobanche grossheimii Novopokrovskij (1949: 282) . Type:— SOUTH OSSETIA (lectotype designated here [ex Tzvelev 2015: 209]): “Юго- ОсетиЯ, Эрмани, правый берег Нижне- Эрманского ущельЯ, субальпийский луг, 1 VIII 1946, И. АбраМОВ [Ermani, right bank of Lower-Ermani gorge, subalpine meadow, 1 VIII 1946, I. Abramov]” (LE s.n.!). Figs. 47–49 .

Note: — The sheet of LE ( Fig. 49 ) contains three similar specimens from the same gathering and the Novopokrovskij label (6 February 1949) indicating that this is the type of the species .

Supplementary description: —Plant robust, dirty pink, pinkish-whitish, reddish, rosaceous, pale yellow or brown. Stem simple and stout, very rarely slender, (35–)40–50(–60) cm × (6.0–)8.0–9.0(–10) mm in diameter in the upper part, (8–)11–12(–13) mm in the middle, and (10–)12–16(–20) mm towards the base, this slightly widening or bulbous; slightly striate (clearly striate when dry); densely glandular pubescent usually on the whole part, with reddish to violet, or rarely pale yellowish glandular hairs 0.3–1.2 mm; stem pale, yellow, pink, reddish, rosaceous, or yellow-brown (brown when dry). Basal leaves (13–)15–16(–22) mm × (3–)6–7(–8) mm at their base, dense, broadly lanceolate-ovate to triangular, glabrous abaxially. Upper leaves (20–)22–25(–30) mm × (3–)4–5(–6) mm, lanceolate, ± lanceolate-triangular, usually dense in the whole part, pale yellow, yellow-brown, brown, changing early to brown when drying; glandular pubescent, with hairs 0.2–0.3 mm. Inflorescence (19–)20–25(–27) cm × 3.5–4.0 cm, subcylindrical to cylindrical, tapering to the apex, usually equal to or longer than the remaining stem, rarely shorter; (35–)40–50(–60)-flowered, usually ± dense, and rarely ± lax. Flowers are ± erecto-patent and large sized. Bracts (22–)25–31(–36) mm × (4–)5–6(–7) mm, equal or longer, rarely shorter than the corolla, broad lanceolate, pinkish-brown, yellowish-brown, reddish brown, changing early to brown, with dense reddish to violet or brown glandular hairs, 0.2–0.4 mm long. Bracteoles absent. Calyx segments free, asymmetrically ovate and unequally bidentate or rarely entire, (11–)17–20(–22) mm long, (3–)6–7(–8) mm wide at the widest point, with two long narrowly lanceolate calyx teeth (7–)9–12(–16) mm long and 1.0– 1.5 mm wide, usually longer than half of the corolla tube; dirty pink, pale rosaceous, yellowish-pink, or pale yellowish-brown, with dense glandular-hairs, hairs ca. 0.1–0.3(–0.4) mm, reddish or brown, rarely pale yellowish. Corolla (16–)24–26(–30) mm long, (7–)8–9(–10) mm in diameter in the central part; tubular to narrowly campanulate (considerably widening towards the mouth); slightly inflated in the insertion of stamen on the bract side; the dorsal line curved at base, then almost straight; externally glandular-pubescent with reddish to violet, rarely pale yellow (in dry form with brown glands), glandular hairs of 0.1–0.3 mm, inside glabrous but sparsely short reddish, rarely pale yellowish hairy in the lips; corolla pale pinkish-white, pinkish-yellow, pale rosaceous, pale yellowish, pale yellowish-brown, often with a darker color on the upper part, with pink to reddish, rarely yellowish veins, (in dry form corolla is brown), the corolla’s throat and lips are usually brighter, whitish-pink or pale yellowish; upper lip emarginate, with two broad lobes, sparsely glandular hairy also in the inner part, hairs ca. 0.1–0.2 mm; lower lip with three suborbicular lobes, irregularly dentate on margins, the middle lobe usually larger. Stamens obliquely inserted, adaxial at 3–4 mm above the corolla base, and abaxial at 4.0 mm, all of them slightly widened at base. Filaments 15–16(–20) mm long, 1.5 mm wide, pale yellow to pink, clearly geniculate, densely hairy in the lower half; hairs 0.2–0.8(–1.0) mm long, not glandular, pale brown when dry, upper part below anthers densely glandular-pubescent, usually ca. 0.1–0.3 mm long, short, pale orange with orange glands. Anthers 2.2–2.5 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm wide, oblongoid, mucronate, pale brown; short pubescent along sutures of thecae, especially in the ¾ part, hairs white, 0.1–0.2 mm long. Ovary (9–)10–12(–13) mm × 4–5 mm, glandular pubescent in upper part, hairs 0.1–0.3 mm long, pale yellow or rarely pinkish-yellow; lateral opening by two longitudinal slots. Style 15–16 mm long, pale, yellow, yellowish-pink, pink, with short and glandular hairs ca. 0.1–0.3 mm long on the whole part and more abundant and dense on the upper part. Stigma bilobed, lobes elongated-spherical to ovate and ± flattened, ca. 2.0– 3.5 mm wide, with numerous warts on the lobes, and yellow or bright yellow.

Distribution: —Northwestern (Javakheti range, Shirak prov.), central (Pambaki range, Kotayk prov.) and eastern parts (Vardenis range, Vayots Dzor prov.) ( Fig. 50).

General distribution: —Northern Caucasus, Transcaucasus: Russia, Georgia, Armenia. Endemic to the Caucasus.

Habitat: —Subalpine meadows, shrubs, forests, stony, grassy slopes from middle mountain belt up to alpine belt, 2000‒2500(3000) m.

Hosts: — Cephalaria sp. ( Dipsacaceae ), like C. gigantea (Ledeb.) Bobr. , C. tchihatchewii Boiss.

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

Conservation status: —Vulnerable (VU) – B 1 ab (iii) + 2 ab (iii). Endemic to the Caucasus. EOO is less than 20,000 km 2, severely fragmented, existing at no more than 10 locations (3 locations in 3 floristic regions), AOO is less than 2000 km 2, severely fragmented, existing at no more than 10 locations. Populations varied from a few to 50 individuals. Limiting factors are restricted EOO and AOO, loss/degradation of habitats caused by overgrazing.

Notes:—Misidentifications can occur with Orobanche rosea / O. kurdica , as well as with O. schelkovnikovii , which occupy similar habitats, but these three taxa parasitise distinctly different species of hosts. The most important characteristics distinguishing these species are compiled in Table 1, as well as in the illustrations and photographs from the field. In the opinion of Novopokrovskij & Tzvelev (1958), O. grossheimii belongs to the group Curvatae sensu Beck and closely resembles O. kurdica . However, occasionally, the presence of numerous dark coloured, reddish or violet glandular hairs, and additional morphological features, e.g. the morphology of flower, may indicates that it belongs to the O. trib. Glandulosae sensu Beck (O. subsect. Glandulosae Teryokhin).

Specimens examined: — ARMENIA. Gegharkunik prov.: Gegham range, near Sevsar mountain, alpine meadow, 2800‒3000 m, 24 June 1960, Ja. Mulkidjanjan (ERE) [bad preserved specimen, it is possible that it may be O. kurdica ]; Kotayk prov.: Armenian SSR Akhta distr. [Kotajk reg., Hrasdan distr.], Miskhana [Hankavan], Quercus macranthera- Populus tremula forest, right slope of the gorge of Miskhana [Marmarik] river, above springs, north slope. 8 July 1955, Ja. Mulkidjanjan (ERE); Miskhana [Hankavan], forest, 6 July 1960, B. Bramyan (ERCB) [as O. alba by T. Tsaturyan]; Statio Miskhana [Hankavan] – forest, 9 July 1964, T. Tsaturyan (ERCB) [as O. krylowii ]; Armenian SSR, Hrasdan distr. [Kotayk reg., Hrasdan distr.], Takarlu village [Pyunik vil.], the road to snow, 2 July 1974, L. Bazukyan (ERCB); Kotayk, Akhundov [Pyunik], forest, 15 June 1965, E. Gevorkyan (ERCB); Armenian SSR, Hrasdan distr. [Kotayk reg., Hrasdan distr.], Takarlu village [Pyunik vil.], vicinity of the Yerevan State university’s base, south slope, 25 June 1975, S. Dallakyan (ERCB); between Thezh Mt. and Meghradzor, slopes near serpentine road, 40°39’26”N, 44°37’21”E, 2450 m, 27 July 2017, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Shirak prov.: Ashotsk distr., Dzhavakh range above Kazanchi [Ghazanchi] vil., 2300–2350 m, 41°04’N, 43°54’E, 5 July 2008, A. Nersesyan & Zh. Akopyan (ERE); SEE of Ghazanchi, meadow slope, 41°03’48”N, 43°52’53”E, 2150 m, 41°04’01”N, 43°53’25”E, 2225 m, 41°04’05”N, 43°54’33”E, 2370 m, 41°04’08”N, 45°54’14”E, 2330, 22 July 2017, R. Piwowarczyk (ERCB, KTC); Armenian SSR, Gukasyan distr. [Shirak reg., Ashotsk distr.], foothills of Dzhavakh range, E from Gukasyan vil. [Ashotsk vil.], stony meadow slope, 2200 m, 17 June 1960, N. Tzvelev & S. Cherepanov (ERE); Vayots Dzor prov.: Jermuk, N slope near the Shahumyan Str., 39°50’41”N, 45°40’53”E, 2135 m, 22 June 2017, R. Piwowarczyk (ERCB, KTC); NNE of Jermuk, slope at the end of the forest, oak forest, 39°51’08”N, 45°41’32”E, 2120 m, 39°51’19”N, 45°41’48”E, 2110 m, 39°51’03”N, 45°41’09”E, 2175 m, 22 June 2017, R. Piwowarczyk (ERCB, KTC); NE of Jermuk, 39°52’07”N, 45°43’57” E, 2570 m, 15 July 2017, phot. E. Charter; Armenian SSR, Yeghegnadzor distr., Jermuk, [actually Vayots Dzor reg., Vajk distr.], 30 June 1974, M. Taslakhchyan (ERCB); Mikoyan distr. [Vayots Dzor reg., Eghegnadzor distr.], SE macroslope of Selim pass, grassy slope, 14 June 1957, V. Avetisyan & Sh. Aslanyan (ERCB) [as O. grossheimii by T. Tsaturyan; bad preserved specimen, it is possible that it may be O. kurdica ].

Figures

FIGURE 47. Orobanche grossheimii. A–B. General habit. C–F. Inflorescences. Photos by Renata Piwowarczyk.

FIGURE 48. Orobanche grossheimii. A. Plant. B. Flower, side view. C. Flower, front view. D. Calyx. E. Bract. F. Leaf. G. Open corolla and androecium. H. Gynoecium. I. Stigma. J. Anther. Illustration by Jolanta Urbanik.

FIGURE 49. Orobanche grossheimii lectotype. South Ossetia, Ermani, right bank of Lower-Ermani gorge, subalpine meadow, 1 August 1946, I. Abramov (LE s.n).