Phytogeographical Study of the Family Orobanchaceae in Kurdistan Region-Iraq

This study included a comprehensive survey of the north and northeast districts of Iraq, the ecology and geographical distribution of the Orobanchaceae species available in Iraqi Kurdistan regions in Duhok, Arbil and Sulaimani governorates were investigated, based on data collected from different sources, geographical distribution was made by the aid of prepared maps, ecological notes were pointed out regarding the different environmental types, species distribution of two genera (Orobanche L. and Phelypaea L.) of the family and two endemic species (O. ovata and O. singarensis) has been recorded, as well it was noted that the O. aegyptiaca Pers. is the most widely distributed specie (common species) and Phelypaea coccinea was the rare species.


Introduction
Orobanchaceae (Broomrape family) widely distributed in warm and temperate area, about 90% of their species are old world natives and only about 10% of the species occur in the cold or hot regions (Thieret, 1971).It is obviously known that the plant spreading influenced by geographical and environmental conditions therefore the Orobanchaceae species show a high variation in their distribution in different environmental conditions.Ecological and geographical distribution of plants are clearly much relevance to plant taxonomy because each species or groups of plants are with a certain pattern of distribution which is one aspect of its definition.The aims of plant ‫طةرميان‬ ‫زانكؤي‬ ‫طؤظاري‬ Journal of Garmian University ‫كرميان‬ ‫جامعة‬ ‫جملة‬ acadj@garmian.edu.krdVol.5, No.2 (June, 2018) geography are to ascertain the essential features and recurrent patterns of the special distribution of plants and to discover their fundamental causes, which lie partly in their ecology.The data on geographical distribution of this study was obtained from some herbarial specimens that have been previously reported, literatures and personal field trip.

Materials and Methods:
The materials that were used as a data source are herbarial specimens(  (1980); Ridda and Daoud (1982); Faris (1983) and some Floras such as: Flora of Syria.
Geographical distribution was made by aid of prepared maps (figure 3, 4, 5) and it is focused on Iraqi Kurdistan regions (figure 2),

Ecology and Geographical Distribution:
The results of this study showed that the species of two genera (Orobanche L. and some of these species parasite on cultivated plants and others on wild plants while some species on both of them, likewise these species may be disappeared in their original places when their hosts are absent, consequently may cause to change the geographical distribution of these species from time to time,

FigureFigure
Figure (1) Physiographic regions and Districts map of Iraq

table 1
The Orobanchaceae species are obligatory parasite plants therefore the geographical distribution depended directly on the distribution of their hosts (wild and cultivated plants), O. aegyptiaca {figure 3, table 2} is the most widely distributed species extended in different environments and laces from Kifri (FKI), south of surveyed regions to Kany distributes in another regions in mid and south of Iraq (according to the labels of herbarial specimens and of Iraqi plants lists) which are entirely different from their habitats with the habitats of Kurdistan in (climate, altitude, soil type and hosts).As well the results of (figure 6, 7) showed that the MSU district are the most districts where the species are spread (9 species) and the FKI is the less districts (1 species) and the most common species O. aegyptiaca are distributed in all six included districts and species of P. coccinea, O. mutelii, O. crenata and O. anatolica are less distributed species (1 district).The density of populations of studied species depended on densities of their hosts populations and somewhat on germination conditions and environments.

Table ( 1
) Herbaria which used their specimens during the study abbreviation follow Holmgren &