''Orobanche hederae'', the ivy broomrape, is, like other members of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

Orobanche ''Orobanche'', commonly known as broomrape, is a genus of over 200 species of small parasitic herbaceous plants, mostly native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. It is the type genus of the broomrape family Orobanchaceae. Description Broom ...

'', a parasitic plant without chlorophyll, and thus totally dependent on its host, which is

ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

. It grows to , with stems in shades of brown and purple, sometimes yellow. The flowers are long, cream in colour with reddish-purple veins.

Etymology

''Orobanche'' is derived from Greek, and means 'bitter vetch strangler'. This name originates from the species '' Orobanche rapum-genistae'', which parasitizes legumes. The name ''hederae'' means 'of ivy', in reference to its host plant, ''Hedera''. Common names in English include ivy broomrape and chokeweed. It is also called ''erva-toira da hera'' in Portuguese and ''orobanche du lierre'' in French.

Description

Its yellowish to purplish stems are usually strongly swollen at the base and by . They are covered in short soft glandular hairs. Leaves are acute and oblong to lance-shaped. It's calyx (sepals) are with free segments that are entire or unequally bifid. Its dull-cream to reddish purple corolla (petals) is . They are almost hairless and upright spreading to more or less patent. Filaments (stalks of the stamen) are inserted above the base of the corolla. They are usually hairless but rarely somewhat hairy below. Fruit are capsules. In Mediterranean climates it flowers from late April to mid July.

Distribution

Its native distribution matches that of its host, ivy, so it is mainly found in central and Northern Europe. In the US, the only place it's been observed is in a patch of ivy at the University of California, Berkeley. It's speculated that a botany student purposely planted it there since ivy is very invasive in California.

Phylogeny

''O. hederae'' is usually included in the "Orobanche" section of genus ''

''. Phylogenetic studies suggest the amethyst broomrape ('' O. amethystea'') is its closest relative. ''O. amethystea'' primarily parasitizes field eryngo (''Eryngium campestre'') which is also in the order ''

Apiales The Apiales are an order of flowering plants. The families are those recognized in the APG III system. This is typical of the newer classifications, though there is some slight variation and in particular, the Torriceliaceae may also be divide ...

''.

Uses

The Greek physician

Dioscorides Pedanius Dioscorides ( grc-gre, Πεδάνιος Διοσκουρίδης, ; 40–90 AD), “the father of pharmacognosy”, was a Greek physician, pharmacologist, botanist, and author of '' De materia medica'' (, On Medical Material) —a 5-vo ...

wrote that the plant, called ''Οροβαχνη'', can be eaten raw or cooked like asparagus and also stated that cooking the plant with pulses makes the pulses cook faster. While Dioscorides doesn't include medicinal information in his description, Russian and Northern folklore both describe the plant as highly medicinal.

Gallery

File:Achlorophyllous root parasitic plant ivy bromrape (Orobanche hederae Duby).jpg File:Broomrape, Cricketfield Road, Torquay - geograph.org.uk - 828455.jpg File:Orobanche hederae inflorescence (15).jpg File:Orobanche hederae (scott.zona).jpg Orobanche hederae Buskett Gardens Malta 02.jpg Orobanche hederae inflorescence (16).jpg Orobanche hederae inflorescence (85).jpg

External links

CABI

CalFlora

Ecoport

Encyclopedia of Life

GBIF

USDA NRCS Plant Database

References

hederae {{Orobanchaceae-stub