Orobanche gracilis Smith (1798: 172)

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 : 87-89

22. Orobanche gracilis Smith (1798: 172)

. TYPE:— ITALY (lectotype designated by Foley (2001: 231)): “Gathered in hilly pastures at St. Orsese near Genoa, in July 1787, Smith (holo. LINN)” (holotype Gilli 1982: 22); “ Lectotype: herb. Smith 1087.11 n.º 1 (LINN)” ( Foley 2001: 231). Heterotypic synonyms:— O. cruenta Bertoloni (1810: 56) ; O. spruneri F.W. Schultz (1843: 130) . Fig. 62 .

General distribution: —Northwest Africa ( Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia), western, southern and central Europe and appears again in the Caucasus ( Russia [Dagestan] and Georgia). Occurrence in Turkey needs confirmation.

Distribution: —Mainly in western, northern parts of southern and central part (Samtskhe-Javakheti, Imereti, Shida Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Tbilisi provinces), single localities also in northern (Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti prov., and South Ossetia), and eastern parts (Kakheti prov.) ( Fig. 63 ).

Habitat: —Rocky slopes, forests and shrublands, steppe hills, usually at 600–1500(2000) m.

Hosts: —Only on Fabaceae species, here parasitic on Cytisus ruthenicus Woł. [syn. C. caucasicus Grossh. ] ( Fabaceae ). Needs confirmation, in the study territory, some notes about hosts in herbarium materials, such as Astragalus sp. and Genista sp. (Fabaceae) .

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

Conservation status: —Least Concern (LC). The species has rather wide distribution in Georgia. EOO is less than 25,000 km 2 and AOO is less than 1000 km 2. The main threats are loss/degradation of habitats, especially through excessive grazing, development of fields, housing and road infrastructure, landslides, excessive overgrowing.

Specimens examined:— GEORGIA. Imereti prov.: Borjomi-Kharaguli National Park, near Lomismta Tourist Shelter, in forest, on Cytisus , 22 July 2011, M. Podsiedlik [KTC, phot.]; Kakheti prov.: Tiflis gov., Telavi distr, the land of master Geijninga, 8 June 1916, A.N. Petunnikov (MW0723497); Mtskheta-Mtianeti prov.: Tiflis prov., Shio-Mgvime (near Mtskheta) on the stony slopes near Tsikhe Didi, 12 June 1918, B. Schischkin (TGM53201) [as O. purpurea by Melikischvili); prov. Tiflis, Mtschet, fl. Amazis-chevi, 6 June 1920, B. Schischkin (TGM53199) [as O. owerinii by Melikischvili); near Mtskheta, N slope below Karsani vil. (note: on Astragalus ), prov. Tiflis, distr. Duset., inter stat. ferroviae Mtschet et p. Karsani, in fruticetis, 3 June 1922, B. Schischkin (TGM53182) (as O. caryophyllacea by Melikischvili]; 24 June 1936, V. Kreczetowicz (LE); Caucasus, Tiflis district, 5 May 1883, Anonymous (MW0723347) [need confirmation, young specimen]; Mtskheta-Mtianeti, district of Mtskheta, surroundings of monastery Sedaseni [Zedazeni], 44°46’40’’E, 41°52’49 ‘’N, 1000–1200 m, 11 July 2002, G. Schneeweiss et al. (WU0027615, WU0027641); NW of Mtskheta, slopes, edges of shrublands, 41°50’54’’N, 44°41’37.4’’E, 640 m, 6 June 2014, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti prov.: Kutaisi distr., Svaneti, Lailashi, 1894, I. Moiseev (MW0717002) [as O. lutea ]; Samtskhe-Javakheti prov.: prov. Tiflis, distr. Gori, Borjomi, „Vorontsovskoje plato”, in pineto, 18 June 1920, B. Schischkin (TGM8430) [as O. purpurea by Melikischvili]; Borjomi distr., E of Kortaneti, rocky slopes of the Mtkvari river, above asphalt road, 41°53’45’’N, 43°26’55’’E, 780–790 m, 31 May 2014, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Borjomi distr., NE of Timotesubani, edge of forest, around the cemetery, 41°48’52’’N, 43°31’20’’E, ca. 1200 m, 2 June 2014, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Borjomi Nature Reserve, W of Likani, 41°49’25.7”N, 43°19’10.4”E, 16 June 2019, C. Frasch [phot., https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/31416537]; Kartli, Borjomi, Fischer et al. (2018) [phot., as O. elatior ]; 10 km ESE of Borjomi, steep rocky slopes, S exposure, on the road between Tsaghveri and Timotesubani, 41°48’15’’N, 43°29’52’’E, 1075 m, 2 June 2014, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Abastumani N, slopes, 12 July 2015, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Mlashe, slopes, edges of shrublands and forests, above asphalt road, 41°40’47’’N, 42°40’20’’E, 1170 m, 13 July 2015, R. Piwowarczyk (KTC); Tetrobi-Chobareti forestry, Akhalkalaki distr., SW Georgia, 1 km to N of Chobar barraks, pine forest, S slope, field, 2 August 1932, Z. Medwedew (MW); Lesser Caucasus, Borjomi distr., near Bakuriani, Bakuriani range, in Picea forest, 29 July 1960, E.W. Wołkowa & L.I. Ivanina (LE); Samtskhe-Javakheti, valley of river Kura (Mtkvari), near Akhaltsikhe, 43°06’01’’E, 41°36’51’’N, 990 m, 16 July 2002, G. Schneeweiss et al. (WU0027645); rocky slopes near the road from Bakuriani to Borjomi, SW from Tsaghveri, on Cytisus , 41°47’13”N, 43°28’04”E, 41°47’44.2”N, 43°28’06.4”E, 1260–1325 m, 14–15 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); Daba E, overgrown slopes with a predominant hornbeam, on Cytisus , 41°48’44.6”N, 43°27’34.1”E, 1005– 1020 m, 15 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); between Dviri and Chitakhevi, NW from Chobiskhevi, slopes of the river Mtkvari (Kura), roadside and rocky slopes on a sharp bend of the road, on Cytisus , 41°46’45.0”N, 43°17’40.1”E, 876 m, 16 June 2022, R. Piwowarczyk (phot.); Shida Kartli prov.: prov. Tiflis, distr. Gori, vallis fl. Tana prope p. Ateni, ad radices Pallini, 24 May 1920, G. Woronow (TGM53177) [as O. arenaria by Melikischvili]; prov. Tiflis, distr. Gori, vallis fl. Liakhvi, inter Gori et p. Karalety, 18 May 1920, E. Kikodze (TGM42225) [as O. lutea by B. Schischkin]; South Ossetia: Roki distr., road Edisa-Cheliata, right bank of the river Kalasanidon, below Edisa, on Genista sp. , 16 July 1936, V. Kreczetowicz (LE); Tbilisi prov.: “Tbilisi: Asia. / Transcaucasia: Chasmi orient, versus a Tiflis [Tbilisi] (leg. Hohenacker, nisi schedula me fallit?)”( Beck 1890: 200, sub O. gracilis ); prov. et distr. Tiflis, in vicinis coenobii Betani [Betania], 6 June 1920, T. Cirkina (TGM53200) [as O. owerinii by Melikischvili].

Figures

FIGURE 62. Orobanche gracilis. A–D, K, M. General habit. E–G. Flower, side view. H–J. Flower, front view. K, M. Representative habitats (K. Samtskhe-Javakheti prov., Kortaneti. M. Borjomi). L. Host, Cytisus ruthenicus. Photos by R. Piwowarczyk.

FIGURE 63. Distribution of Orobanche gracilis in Georgia.