Family |
Orobanchaceae
Odontites hispidulus
(Boiss.) Bolliger
Endemic to Lebanon
Odontites hispidulus (Boiss.) Bolliger
First published in Willdenowia 26: 104 (1996).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, p. 268, under Odontites lutea var. hispidula)
Description
Synonym: Odontites luteus var. hispidulus Boiss., Fl. Orient. 4: 475 (1879); treated by Mouterde as O. lutea var. hispidula Boiss.
Morphology: Annual herb. Mouterde’s regional O. lutea account describes rigid, erect, branched stems with short, curled hairs; short, lanceolate-linear to linear leaves, entire or slightly toothed, flat and often reflexed, the lower leaves soon falling; and elongated inflorescences. His key gives a height of 20–50 cm for this treatment. The calyx has triangular teeth about half as long as its tube. The corolla is yellow, with spreading lips; the glabrous anthers project beyond it. The capsule is ovate-elliptic and pubescent. The Lebanese variety hispidula is specifically distinguished by long, spreading hairs on its bracts and calyx.
Flowering and habitat
Flowering: July–December, according to Mouterde’s regional treatment.
Habitat: Wooded and grassy places. Mouterde provides no numerical elevation range for this taxon.
Distribution
Distribution in Lebanon: Kesrouan and surrounding areas: Beit Khachbo, Harissa, Ghazir, Aramoun, Dlepta, Chnan Air, above Jbail and Antoura, as recorded by Mouterde for var. hispidula.
Recorded locations: Kfertay; Zabbougha.
Native range: Lebanon; endemic to Lebanon. POWO explicitly describes the native range as Lebanon, while its distribution list uses the broader botanical recording unit Lebanon-Syria. Mouterde likewise states that var. hispidula is exclusive to Lebanon.
⚠️ Taxonomic note:
POWO accepts Odontites hispidulus at species rank and lists O. luteus var. hispidulus Boiss. as its homotypic synonym. Mouterde used the spelling O. lutea var. hispidula and included it within a broader O. lutea account; the widespread range of that parent species should not be attributed to this Lebanese endemic. Endemism is supported by POWO and Mouterde; a separate cross-check against the Flora & Fauna of Lebanon endemic-flora checklist could not be completed because its entries were not accessible.