G. Domina, P. Marino & G. Castellano
G. Domina, P. Marino & G. Castellano The genus Orobanche (Orobanchaceae) in Sicily Abstract Domina, G., Marino, P. & Castellano, G.: The genus Orobanche (Orobanchaceae) in Sicily. — Fl. Medit. 21: 205-242. 2011. — ISSN: 1120-4052 printed, 2240-4538 online. The taxa of Orobanche occurring in Sicily and on the surrounding islets have been surveyed in the field and in herbaria. In total, 23 species occur in the region. O. litorea is found to be dis- tinct from O. minor and O. thapsoides from O. canescens. O. crenata and O. ramosa are seri- ous pests that cause heavy losses to broad bean and tomato cultures, respectively. Key words: Flora, taxonomy, broomrapes, parasitic plants, Italy. Introduction Most of the European Floras (Webb 1972; Pignatti 1982; Foley 2001, etc.) in their treatment of Orobanche stress its taxonomic difficulty, said to be due to the lack of vegetative organs, to the intra- and inter-population variation, to the short flowering period and to the fragility and loss of colour of herbarium specimens. In reality the worst limitation is the fragility of herbarium specimens. In fact Camarda (1983) in the flowering scape alone observed 42 different characters. Variability must be assessed by studying a large number of individuals from different areas, so as to avoid distin- guishing single individuals or populations as different taxa. The change of colour in dried specimens can be interpreted easily by the practiced observer. Broomrapes are also interesting from an agricultural point of view, when one con- siders that at least 5 species are parasites of important crop species. From 2000 to 2006, the EU funded a research project (COST 849) involving more than 70 researchers, aimed to study and control infestation by Orobanche.
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