Flora-Fauna

Orobanche pubescens d’Urv.

First published in Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris 1: 332 (1822).

(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, pp. 280–281, Pl. CXLI, 5a–b; 1983)

• Synonyms: Orobanche versicolor F.W.Schultz.

• Life-form & habit: Perennial parasitic herb, 10–60 cm tall. Stem thickened at the base, yellowish-white or reddish, striated and densely glandular-hairy.

• Leaves: Scale-like, oblong, pointed or somewhat blunt, often eroded along the margins; crowded near the stem base and scattered above.

• Inflorescence & flowers: Many-flowered cylindrical spike, rounded or shortly pointed at the tip and often loose below. Flowers initially ascending, later spreading almost horizontally, 10–15 mm before opening and up to 20 mm afterwards. Lanceolate, usually glandular-hairy bracts equal or exceed the flowers. Calyx divided into two distinct or shortly united segments, with narrow, often long-pointed teeth. Tubular corolla yellowish-white, lilac or violet, pale brown when dry, with long woolly hairs outside. Upper lip usually entire; lower lip with truncate or somewhat pointed lobes. All lobes folded, with unevenly scalloped margins. Stamens inserted 3–4 mm above the corolla base; filaments long-hairy below, glabrous or sparsely hairy near the abruptly pointed anthers. Stigma violet.

• Phenology: March–May.

• Habitat & elevation: Fields, especially sandy ones; parasitic on various plants.

• Lebanese distribution: Tyr, Saida, Beirut, Nahr el Kelb, Hazmiye–Hadeth, Antelias, Ras Chekka, Tripoli, Ras el Harf, below Jamhour, Dlepta and Afqa.

• Syrian distribution: South of Tartous and Ras Chamra.

• Recorded locations: Zabbougha.

• Native range: Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Egypt, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, North Caucasus, NW. Balkan Pen., Palestine, Sicilia, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye and Türkiye-in-Europe.

• Introduced into: France and Sardegna.