Flora-Fauna

Pseudopodospermum molle (M.Bieb.) Kuth.

First published in Kavkaz. Predstav. Podtriby Scorzonerinae Dum. (Compos.): 85 (1978).

(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, p. 516, under Scorzonera mollis, including S. syriaca; historical combined treatment)

Description

Basionym: Scorzonera mollis M.Bieb., Fl. Taur.-Caucas. 3: 522 (1819).

Morphology: In the narrower treatment of Flora of Iraq (2019), a perennial, usually nearly stemless or short-stemmed, 4–30 cm tall, with a tuberous rootstock and variable cobwebby wool. Leaves grass-like, mainly basal, about 4.5–20 cm long and 1.5–5 mm wide, tapering to slender tips, their margins entire to strongly crisped. Involucre cylindrical; outer bracts narrow-lanceolate and acute, about 7–11 mm long, inner ones 15–22 mm in flower and longer in fruit. Flowers yellow; outer ligules often bluish-marked beneath. Achenes glabrous, cylindrical and ribbed, 14–18(–20) mm long, the outer ones finely cross-wrinkled with small lamellae; inner ones smoother. Pappus pale, 17–25 mm long, feathered below and finely barbed above. These measurements describe the modern molle treatment, not Mouterde’s combined mollis–syriaca account.

Flowering and habitat

Flowering: March–August in Mouterde’s combined Scorzonera mollis–S. syriaca treatment; this range has not been separately established there for modern P. molle.

Habitat and elevation: Mouterde lists fields, pastures and woodland for the combined treatment, without a numerical elevation range. These ecological records may include plants now assigned to P. semicanum.

Distribution

Historical Lebanese localities: Under Mouterde’s combined treatment: Saida; Khaldé; the mouth of Nahr Damour; south of Ras Chekka; Jamaliyé to Iskanderouné above Saida; Jisr el-Kadi to Ain Traz; Deir el-Qamar; Qrayyé; Qoubbeh near Hammana; Abey; Bhamdoun; Bikfaya; the pass above Jezzine; Jabal Barouk; Sofar; Roueissat; Falougha; Jabal Kneissé; Jabal Sannine; Dahr el-Baidar; Zahlé pass; Tannourine cedars; Hadeth cedars; Jabal Niha; Ehden; Hasroun; Hadeth; Zahlé; Khan Mourad; Kaoukaba–Kfar Houné; Marjayoun to Kleyyé; Kafr Zabad; Baalbeck. These are historical records of the combined taxon, not individually verified records of P. molle in its current sense.

Historical Syrian localities: Under the same combined treatment: Ain Haramiyé; Kizil Dagh; Anti-Lebanon; Deir Atiyé; Bloudane; Jabal Maaloula; Ouadi el-Qarn; Dimas; Achrafiyé; Mayssaloun; Jabal Qasyoun; Jabal Kherbé; Souq Ouadi Barada; Jabal Dmeir; Chmaissé; Soueida–Salé; Kafer–Salkhad; Qaryatein to Ain el-Oual. Their assignment to modern P. molle or P. semicanum requires reassessment.

Recorded locations: Sannine; Kfertay.

Native range: Southeastern Europe to Sinai and Pakistan. POWO lists Albania, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Crimea, Lebanon-Syria, North Caucasus, the northwestern Balkan Peninsula, Pakistan, Palestine, Romania, Sinai, South European Russia, Türkiye, European Türkiye and Ukraine.

⚠️ Taxonomic note:

Mouterde’s editors placed Scorzonera syriaca in synonymy with S. mollis, explicitly departing from his original manuscript because the differences appeared slight. Current POWO instead places S. syriaca Boiss. & C.I.Blanche and Pseudopodospermum syriacum under P. semicanum (DC.) Zaika, Sukhor. & N.Kilian, separately from P. molle. The historical combined account must therefore not be transferred wholesale to modern P. molle. In morphological comparisons, P. molle usually has a nearly stemless or short-stemmed habit, narrow grass-like leaves and narrow, acute outer involucral bracts; P. semicanum tends to be more evidently stemmed, with broader cauline leaves and broader, often acuminate outer bracts. The Turkish revision of Coşkunçelebi et al. (2015, p. 85) likewise distinguishes acute outer bracts in S. mollis from acuminate ones in S. semicana. Mature fruits are particularly useful: P. semicanum generally has longer, more coarsely lamellate-muricate achenes, whereas those of P. molle are shorter and more finely lamellate. Length ranges overlap, so fruit sculpture and vegetative characters should be assessed together. Tuber shape, hairiness and wavy leaf margins alone are insufficient. POWO also places the historical S. mollis varieties longifolia and platyphylla under P. semicanum. The present identification is retained as P. molle; mature fruit examination would strengthen the distinction.