''Orobanche'', commonly known as broomrape, is a genus of almost 200 species of small

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The ent ...

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition o ...

s, mostly native to the

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...

Northern Hemisphere. It is the

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus (''genus typica'') is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearin ...

of the broomrape family Orobanchaceae. It is a weed on broadleaf crop plants in Australia, where some states enforce mandatory destruction and reporting, as well as prohibition of sale.

Description

Broomrapes are generally small, only tall depending on species. They are best recognized by the yellow- to straw-coloured stems completely lacking

chlorophyll Chlorophyll is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words (, "pale green") and (, "leaf"). Chlorophyll allows plants to absorb energy ...

, bearing yellow, white, or blue snapdragon-like flowers. The flower shoots are scaly, with a dense terminal spike of 10-20 flowers in most species, although single in one-flowered broomrape (''Orobanche uniflora''). The leaves are merely triangular scales. The seeds are minute, tan or brown, blackening with age. These plants generally flower from late winter to late spring. When they are not flowering, no part of the plants is visible above the surface of the soil.

Parasitism

As they have no chlorophyll, the broomrapes are totally dependent on other plants for nutrients. Broomrape seeds remain dormant in the soil, often for many years, until stimulated to germinate by certain compounds produced by living plant roots. Broomrape seedlings put out a root-like growth, which attaches to the roots of nearby hosts. Once attached to a host, the broomrape robs its host of water and nutrients. Some species are only able to parasitise a single plant species, and they are often named after the plant they parasitise, such as ivy broomrape (''O. hederae'') being restricted to parasitising

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 Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern ...

. Others can infect several genera, such as the lesser broomrape ''O. minor'', which lives on

clover Clovers, also called trefoils, are plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with the highest diversit ...

and other related

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

. Branched broomrape ''Orobanche ramosa'', native to central and southwestern Europe but widely naturalised elsewhere, is considered a major threat to crops in some areas. Plants that it targets are

tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

eggplant Eggplant (American English, US, Canadian English, CA, Australian English, AU, Philippine English, PH), aubergine (British English, UK, Hiberno English, IE, New Zealand English, NZ), brinjal (Indian English, IN, Singapore English, SG, Malays ...

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of '' Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.& ...

, coleus,

bell pepper The bell pepper (also known as sweet pepper, paprika, pepper, capsicum or, in some parts of the US midwest, mango) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in diff ...

sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a species of large annual forb of the daisy family Asteraceae. The common sunflower is harvested for its edible oily seeds, which are often eaten as a snack food. They are also used in the pr ...

celery Celery (''Apium graveolens'' Dulce Group or ''Apium graveolens'' var. ''dulce'') is a cultivated plant belonging to the species ''Apium graveolens'' in the family Apiaceae that has been used as a vegetable since ancient times. The original wild ...

, and

bean A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are traditi ...

s. In heavily infested areas, branched broomrape can cause total crop failure. The bean broomrape '' Orobanche crenata'', which targets the

fava bean ''Vicia faba'', commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption, and also as a cover crop. Vari ...

, has stems that are gathered and eaten in the Italian region of

Apulia Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...

.Luard, E. ''European peasant cookery'', Grub Street, 2004, p.380

Etymology

The generic name ''Orobanche'' comes from the Greek (), from ( " bitter vetch") + ( (I) "strangle"). The common name "broomrape" comes from the English "broom" (a plant) + Latin ('tuber').

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus ''Orobanche'': *''

Orobanche aconiti-lycoctoni ''Orobanche'', commonly known as broomrape, is a genus of almost 200 species of small parasitic herbaceous plants, mostly native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. It is the type genus of the broomrape family Orobanchaceae. It is a weed on ...

'' *''

Orobanche aegyptiaca ''Orobanche aegyptiaca'', the Egyptian broomrape, is a plant which is an obligate holoparasite from the family Orobanchaceae with a complex lifecycle. This parasite is most common in the Middle East and has a wide host range including many eco ...

'' — Egyptian broomrape; Fenzhi broomrape *''

Orobanche alba ''Orobanche alba'', also known by its common names thyme broomrape and red broomrape, is a holoparasitic plant of the broomrape family. It parasitises plants from the mint family. It is native to countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, ...

'' — Thyme broomrape; baihua broomrape *''

Orobanche alsatica ''Orobanche'', commonly known as broomrape, is a genus of almost 200 species of small Parasitic plant, parasitic herbaceous plants, mostly native to the temperate climate, temperate Northern Hemisphere. It is the type genus of the Orobanchaceae ...

Orobanche hederae ''Orobanche hederae'', the ivy broomrape, is, like other members of the genus ''Orobanche'', a parasitic plant without chlorophyll, and thus totally dependent on its host, which is ivy. It grows to , with stems in shades of brown and purple, som ...

'' – Ivy broomrape *'' Orobanche hedypnoidis'' *'' Orobanche heldreichii'' *'' Orobanche hirtiflora'' *'' Orobanche humbertii'' *'' Orobanche hymenocalyx'' *'' Orobanche hypertomentosa'' *'' Orobanche iammonensis'' *'' Orobanche iberica'' *'' Orobanche inexspectata'' *'' Orobanche ingens'' *'' Orobanche inulae'' *'' Orobanche javakhetica'' *'' Orobanche kashmirica'' *'' Orobanche kelleri'' — Duanchi broomrape *'' Orobanche kotschyi'' — Yitong broomrape *'' Orobanche krylowii'' — Siduomao broomrape *'' Orobanche kurdica'' *'' Orobanche lainzii'' *'' Orobanche laserpitii-sileris'' *'' Orobanche latisquama'' *'' Orobanche lavandulacea'' *'' Orobanche laxissima'' *'' Orobanche leptantha'' *'' Orobanche libanotica'' *'' Orobanche litorea'' *'' Orobanche longibracteata'' *'' Orobanche loscosii'' *'' Orobanche lucorum'' — Barberry Broomrape *'' Orobanche ludoviciana'' — Prairie broomrape; desert broomrape *'' Orobanche lutea'' — Medick broomrape *'' Orobanche lycoctoni'' *'' Orobanche megalantha'' — Dahua broomrape *''

Orobanche minor ''Orobanche minor'', the hellroot, common broomrape, lesser broomrape, small broomrape, broomrape minor or clover broomrape, is a holoparasitic flowering plant belonging to the family Orobanchaceae. It is one of about 150 Photosynthesis, non-ph ...

'' — Common broomrape; clover broomrape; lesser broomrape; small broomrape *'' Orobanche mlokosiewiczii'' *'' Orobanche mongolica'' — Zhonghua broomrape *'' Orobanche montserratii'' *'' Orobanche multiflora'' *'' Orobanche mupinensis'' — Baoxing broomrape *'' Orobanche muteliformis'' *'' Orobanche mutelii'' *'' Orobanche nana'' *'' Orobanche nowackiana'' *'' Orobanche olbiensis'' *'' Orobanche ombrochares'' — Maoyao broomrape *'' Orobanche orientalis'' *'' Orobanche owerinii'' *'' Orobanche oxyloba'' *'' Orobanche palaestina'' *'' Orobanche pancicii'' *'' Orobanche parishii'' *'' Orobanche penduliflora'' *'' Orobanche perangustata'' *'' Orobanche persica'' *'' Orobanche picridis-hieracioidis'' — Oxtongue broomrape *'' Orobanche pinorum'' *'' Orobanche portoilicitana'' *'' Orobanche psila'' *'' Orobanche pubescens'' — Hairy broomrape *'' Orobanche pulchella'' *'' Orobanche purpurea'' — Yarrow broomrape *'' Orobanche pycnostachya'' — Huanghua broomrape *''

Orobanche ramosa ''Orobanche ramosa'' is a species of broomrape known by the common names hemp broomrape and branched broomrape. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it is known in many other places as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed. ...

'' — Branched broomrape; hemp broomrape *'' Orobanche rapum-genistae'' — Greater broomrape *'' Orobanche rechingeri'' *'' Orobanche resedarum'' *'' Orobanche reticulata'' — Thistle broomrape *'' Orobanche reuteriana'' *'' Orobanche rigens'' *'' Orobanche riparia'' *'' Orobanche robbinsii'' *'' Orobanche rosmarina'' *'' Orobanche salviae'' *'' Orobanche sanguinea'' *'' Orobanche santolinae'' *'' Orobanche schelkovnikovii'' *'' Orobanche schultzii'' *'' Orobanche schweinfurthii'' *'' Orobanche septemloba'' *'' Orobanche serbica'' *'' Orobanche serratocalyx'' *'' Orobanche sinensis'' — Sichuan broomrape *'' Orobanche singarensis'' *'' Orobanche sintenisii'' *'' Orobanche solenanthi'' *'' Orobanche sordida'' — Danhuang broomrape *'' Orobanche spectabilis'' *'' Orobanche staehelinae'' *'' Orobanche stocksii'' *'' Orobanche subbaetica'' *'' Orobanche sulphurea'' *'' Orobanche tacnaensis'' *'' Orobanche tarapacana'' *'' Orobanche tetuanensis'' *'' Orobanche teucrii'' — Germander broomrape *'' Orobanche transcaucasica'' *'' Orobanche trichocalyx'' *'' Orobanche tricholoba'' *'' Orobanche turcica'' *''

Orobanche uniflora ''Orobanche uniflora'', commonly known as one-flowered broomrape, one-flowered cancer root, ghost pipe or naked broomrape, is an annual parasitic herbaceous plant. It is native to much of North America, where it is a parasitic plant, tapping nut ...

'' — Naked broomrape; one-flower cancer-root *'' Orobanche uralensis'' — Duochi broomrape *'' Orobanche valida'' *'' Orobanche vallicola'' *'' Orobanche variegata'' *'' Orobanche weberbaueri'' *'' Orobanche yuennanensis'' — Dianlie Broomrape *'' Orobanche zajaciorum'' *'' Orobanche zosimii''

References

External links

Control of Branched Broomrape: A Literature Review
{{Taxonbar, from=Q157302 Orobanchaceae genera Parasitic plants