Phelipanche aegyptiaca (Pers.) Pomel (1874: 107)

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 : 33-35

8. Phelipanche aegyptiaca (Pers.) Pomel (1874: 107)

. Type:— EGYPT (lectotype designated by Domina et al. 2013): “ Orobanche ramosa a nostra differt planta majore floribus pedicellatis antheris superne barbato-tomentosis flore longiore, calice quinquefido. N. / Egipte / Coquebert [Ernest Coquebert de Montbret]” (G-DC). Basionym:— Orobanche aegyptiaca Persoon (1806: 181) . Misapplied names:— Orobanche longiflora Trevirano (1816: 150) , non O. longiflora Persoon (1806: 181) ; Orobanche mutelii auct., non O. mutelii F.W. Schultz in Mutel (1835: 353). Fig. 18 .

General distribution: —NE Africa ( Egypt) and Asia ( Sánchez Pedraja et al. 2016 +). Sometimes naturalised in other parts of the world (e.g., United States of America).

Distribution: — Tbilisi province, but cannot be ruled out also in other provinces ( Fig. 19 ).

Habitat: —Mainly anthropogenic, ruderal habitats, cannot be ruled out in crops.

Hosts: —Parasitic on cultivated species of Cucurbitaceae , Brassicaceae , Fabaceae , Malvaceae , Solanaceae , etc., more rarely on other species ( Beck 1890: 103; Beck 1930: 83; Novopokrovsky & Tzvelev 1958: 61), here on native or naturalised species as Lepidium draba L. ( Cardaria draba (L.) Desv.) ( Brassicaceae ) and Lycium barbarum L. ( Solanaceae ).

Phenology: —Flowering May–June, 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 crops. In Georgia, it also needs further observation in crops.

Notes: —Here, this taxon, never in crops, is not typical and seems to occupy, from a morphological point of view, an intermediate place between what we have called O. nana var. penicillata and what others have treated as P. aegyptiaca (Pers.) Pomel. Other authors have seen the P. mutelii (F.W. Schultz) Pomel in it ( Tzvelev 1981: 326), but this latter species, totally different, was described from northwest Africa and does not reach these latitudes. We think that the taxon for its appearance (e.g., inflorescence dense and many-flowered and size of flowers (ca. 20–23 mm) seems to fit better in the taxon that Beck believed to be a form, later variety, of O. aegyptiaca ( Beck 1890: 102; Beck 1930: 83) and that it was called “ aemula ” by him (see below). Indeed, it seems closer to P. aegyptiaca , but P. aegyptiaca s. str. (with lax inflorescences and flowers ca. 25–40 mm) has not been confirmed by us from the Caucasus ( Sánchez Pedraja et al. 2016 +).

Orobanche aegyptiaca f. aemula Beck in Biblioth. Bot. 19: 102, t. 1 f. 14(3) (1890) [excl. syn.]. Homotypic synonym:— O. aegyptiaca var. aemula (Beck) Beck in Engl., Pflanzenr. 96: 83 (1930). Heterotypic synonym:—? Phelypaea macrantha var. venosa K. Koch (1849: 661) . Misapplied names:— Phelypaea longiflora sensu C.A. Meyer (1831: 104) [saltem p.p.], non O. longiflora Persoon (1806: 181) ; Orobanche mutelii auct., non O. mutelii F.W. Schultz in Mutel (1835: 353). Ind. loc.:—“Tauria [Crimea] australis (α 7)” ( Beck 1890: 103).

Specimens examined: — GEORGIA. Tbilisi prov.: Tbilisi, Gldani-Nadzaladevi, near Tbilisi Sea gravel shores, [on Lepidium ], 41°45’57.0”N, 44°48’45.9”E, [ca. 550 m], 13 May 2021, Naturalist55657 (phot., https://www. inaturalist.org/observations/78673929); Tbilisi, Gldani-Nadzaladevi distr., Tbilisi Sea, SW part, shores of the reservoir, near the boat dock, by the paths, paved with gravel, on Lepidium , 41°45’58.2”N, 44°48’45.4”E, 550 m, 7 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Tbilisi, Vere distr., Vere Park, SW of Vere Park Tennis Courts, on Lycium , 41°42’34.0”N, 44°47’16.2”E, ca. 440 m, 5 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC).

Identification key for Phelipanche species of Georgia (after Piwowarczyk et al. 2019, modified)

1. Stems simple. Inflorescence ± densely white arachnoid-villous to lanate ........................................................................................ 2

+. Stems simple or branched. Inflorescence minutely puberulent to short pilose ................................................................................. 3

2. Flowers erect-patent to patent with corolla tubular and dorsal line evenly curved. Parasitic on Artemisia sp. (Asteraceae) . ............ ............................................................................................................................................................................................... P. caesia

+. Flowers ± erect with corolla infundibuliform and dorsal line straight or slightly curved. Parasitic on Teucrium sp. (Lamiaceae) . .. .................................................................................................................................................................. P. pulchella ( P. bungeana )

3. Flowers small or medium. Calyx 4‒10(–12) mm. Corolla 10‒22 mm. Parasitic on many families (never on Artemisia or Achillea ). .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

+. Flowers bigger. Calyx (7‒) 8‒21 mm. Corolla (15‒) 17‒35 mm. Parasitic on Asteraceae (mainly on Artemisia or Achillea , less commonly on Tripleurospermum , Pyrethrum and Tanacetum ). ....................................................................................................... 7

4. Calyx (7–)9‒11(–12) mm, calyx-teeth triangular-subulate, firm, usually clearly longer than calyx-tube. Corolla-lobes triangular-ovate and acute to acuminate. Parasitic usually on trees and shrubs of Rosaceae ( Prunus [ Amygdalus ]). ........................................ ................................................................................................................................................................. P. libanotica ( P. orientalis )

+. Calyx 4‒10(–12) mm, calyx-teeth triangular to triangular-subulate, weak, longer to equalling or shorter than tube. Corolla-lobes ovate, obovate or ovate-lanceolate and obtuse, more rarely acute. Parasitic on other families, never on trees and shrubs of Rosaceae ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 5

5. Stems up to 15(–30) cm, usually ± robust, branched (branches erect, clustered, almost parallel to the stem) or sometimes simple. Inflorescences dense and multiflorous. Bracts 7‒10 mm. Calyx 9‒10 mm, calyx-teeth narrowly triangular-subulate, usually longer than tube or, sometimes, equaling it. Corolla 20‒22 mm, with upper lip deeply 2-lobed, lobes ± erect, rounded; lower lip deeply 3-lobed, lobes ovate to obovate, obtuse. Anthers ± hairy at the base. Parasitic on Brassicaceae (Lepidium) and Solanaceae (Lycium) . ....................................................................................................................................................................... P. aegyptiaca

+. Stems up to 35 cm, usually ± slender, branched (branches erecto-patent to patent, usually not clustered) or simple. Inflorescences lax and multiflorous or dense and few-flowered, with ± rounded and not comose apex. Bracts 4–8 mm, not reflexed. Calyx 4‒9(– 12) mm, calyx teeth triangular or triangular-lanceolate, slightly longer to equalling or shorter than tube. Corolla 10‒18 mm, with upper lip emarginate or ± deeply 2-lobed, lobes erecto-patent to porrect, ovate-lanceolate acute (without subulate apex); lower lip deeply 3-lobed, lobes ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acute or obtuse. Anthers glabrous (rarely hairs). Parasitic on other genera (never on Lepidium or Lycium ). ................................................................................................................................................................... 6

6. Stem 6‒25 cm (rarely more), simple or branched. Inflorescence usually dense. Flowers patent (rarely erecto-patent), blue to violet (deep or less frequently pale). Calyx-teeth slightly longer than tube, triangular-lanceolate with subulate to filiform apex. Parasitic on wild plants ......................................................................................................................................................................... P. nana

+. Stem 17‒35 cm (rarely less), branched or occasionally simple. Inflorescence usually lax. Flowers erect, pale blue to lilac. Calyx-teeth equalling or shorter than tube, triangular with acute apex. Parasitic on cultivated plants ......................................... P. ramosa

7. Stem with numerous, triangular-lanceolate to lanceolate, scales up to 20(‒25) mm long. Flowers erect to erecto-patent. Calyx 11‒18(‒21) mm; teeth, narrow-lanceolate and subulate, longer than or sometimes equalling the tube. Corolla (18‒)21‒35(‒38) mm, ± tubular-infundibuliform, usually without darker longitudinal nerves. Anthers ± densely hairy. Parasitic on Artemisia .......... ........................................................................................................................................................................................... P. arenaria

+. Stem with sparse, lanceolate to narrowly-lanceolate scales up to 15(‒20) mm long. Flowers erecto-patent to patent. Calyx 8‒16 mm; teeth narrow-lanceolate, equalling the tube. Corolla 17‒23(‒25) mm, ± tubular, usually with darker longitudinal nerves. Anthers glabrous (rarely sparsely hairy at sutures). Parasitic mainly on Achillea , rarely on Tripleurospermum , Tanacetum , Artemisia vulgaris , and Pyrethrum .................................................................................................................................................. P. purpurea

Figures

FIGURE 18. Phelipanche aegyptiaca. Photos by R. Piwowarczyk. A–D, U. General habit. E–I. Flower, side view. J–N. Flower, front view. O–R, T–W. Representative habitats (Tbilisi: O–R. Shores of the Tbilisi Sea. T–W. Vere Park). R, S, V, W. Representative hosts (R, S. Lepidium draba. V, W. Lycium barbarum). Photos by R. Piwowarczyk.

FIGURE 19. Distribution of Phelipanche aegyptiaca in Georgia.