Orobanche pancicii Beck (Orobanchaceae) in the flora of the Republic of North Macedonia

Vol 26 No 1 (2023): Acta Musei Macedonici Scientiarum Naturalium

Abstract

The confirmation of the presence of Orobanche pancicii Beck, in the flora of North Macedonia, is presented in this paper. The only data for the occurrence of this species is from 1921 by Stojanov, for the mountain Belasica (southeastern part of North Macedonia). The new findings includes the mountains in the central (Karadjica, Kozjak) and western part of North Macedonia (Korab, Jablanica). In general, the distribution area of O. pancici includes Balkan Peninsula and countries from Central Europe (Austria, Hungary). In Euro+Med PlantBase, North Macedonia is not included in the distribution area of this species. O. pancicii belongs to the Subsect. Glandulosae that includes species in which corolla, especially the upper lip is covered with more or less dense dark-purple glandular hairs. Knautia- and Scabiosa species appear to be the most frequent host plants for O. pancicii, but also some others are reported: Valeriana montana, Ligustrum vulgare, Wulfenia carinthiaca, Centaurea scabiosa, Cephalaria sp., Euonimus europaeus, Ailanthus altissima. In our case, Stachys tymphaea and Valeriana montana are determined as certain host plants while the host plants for the population from the mountain Kozjak (Prilep) stay unknown. As it is mentioned above, V. montana is already known, but S. tymphaea is so far unknown host plant for O. pancicii. Species of the genus Hieracium, alleged for the mountain Belasica, are also unknown host plants, for this species.