Orobanchaceae, the broomrapes, is a

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

of mostly

parasitic plant A parasitic plant is a plant that derives some or all of its nutritional requirements from another living plant. They make up about 1% of angiosperms and are found in almost every biome. All Parasite, parasitic plants develop a specialized organ ...

s of the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

Lamiales The Lamiales (also known as the mint order) are an order of flowering plants in the asterids clade of the Eudicots. Under the APG IV system of flowering plant classification the order consists of 24 families, and includes about 23,810 species ...

, with about 90

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

and more than 2000

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

. Many of these genera (e.g., '' Pedicularis'', ''

Rhinanthus ''Rhinanthus'' is a genus of annual parasitic plant, hemiparasitic herbaceous plants in the family Orobanchaceae, formerly classified in the family Scrophulariaceae. Its species are commonly known as rattles. The genus consists of about 30 to 40 ...

'', ''

Striga ''Striga'', commonly known as witchweed, is a genus of parasitic plants that occur naturally in parts of Africa, Asia, and Australia. It is currently classified in the family Orobanchaceae, although older classifications place it in the Scrophul ...

'') were formerly included in the family

Scrophulariaceae The Scrophulariaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the figwort family. The plants are annual and perennial herbs, as well as shrubs. Flowers have bilateral (zygomorphic) or rarely radial (actinomorphic) symmetry. The Scr ...

sensu lato ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...

''. With its new circumscription, Orobanchaceae forms a distinct, monophyletic family. From a

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical dat ...

perspective, it is defined as the largest crown clade containing '' Orobanche major'' and relatives, but neither ''

Paulownia tomentosa ''Paulownia tomentosa'', common names princess tree, empress tree, or foxglove-tree, is a deciduous hardwood tree in the family Paulowniaceae, native to central and eastern China and the Korean Peninsula. It is an extremely fast-growing tree wit ...

'' nor '' Phryma leptostachya'' nor '' Mazus japonicus''. The Orobanchaceae are annual

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

s or

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herbs or

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s, and most (all except '' Lindenbergia'', '' Rehmannia'' and '' Triaenophora'') are

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 ...

on the

root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...

s of other plants—either holoparasitic or hemiparasitic (fully or partly parasitic). The holoparasitic species lack

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 ...

and therefore cannot perform

photosynthesis Photosynthesis ( ) is a system of biological processes by which photosynthetic organisms, such as most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy, typically from sunlight, into the chemical energy necessary to fuel their metabo ...

Pedicularis zeylanica-Silent Valley-2016-08-13-001

Description

Orobanchaceae is the largest of the 20–28

dicot The dicotyledons, also known as dicots (or, more rarely, dicotyls), are one of the two groups into which all the flowering plants (angiosperms) were formerly divided. The name refers to one of the typical characteristics of the group: namely, ...

families that express parasitism. Apart from a few non-parasitic taxa, the family displays all types of plant parasitism:

facultative parasite A facultative parasite is an organism that may resort to parasitic activity, but does not absolutely rely on any host for completion of its life cycle. Examples of facultative parasitism occur among many species of fungi, such as family members ...

obligate parasite An obligate parasite or holoparasite is a parasitic organism that cannot complete its life-cycle without exploiting a suitable host. If an obligate parasite cannot obtain a host it will fail to reproduce. This is opposed to a facultative parasite, ...

, hemiparasites, and holoparasites.

Roots and stems

Parasitic plants are attached to their host by means of

haustoria In botany and mycology, a haustorium (plural haustoria) is a rootlike structure that grows into or around another structure to absorb water or nutrients. For example, in mistletoe or members of the broomrape family, the structure penetrates th ...

, which transfer

nutrient A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi and protists. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for metabolic purposes or excret ...

s from the host to the parasite. Only the hemiparasitic species possess an additional extensive root system referred to as the lateral or side haustoria. In most holoparasitic species there is a swollen mass of short, bulky roots or one big swollen haustorial organ, which may be simple or composite, commonly called the terminal or primary haustorium. Plants are reduced to short vegetative stems, their alternate leaves are reduced to fleshy, tooth-like scales, and have multicellular hairs interspersed with glandular hairs. The hemiparasitic species (transferred from Scrophulariaceae) with green leaves are capable of photosynthesis, and may be either facultative or obligate parasites.

Flowers

The

hermaphroditic A hermaphrodite () is a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphroditic. The individuals of many ...

flowers are bilaterally symmetrical and grow either in

raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are ...

s or spikes or singly at the apex of the slender stem. The tubular calyx is formed by 2–5 united sepals. There are five united, bilabiate

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s forming the corolla and they may be yellowish, brownish, purplish, or white. The upper lip is two-lobed, the lower lip is three-lobed. There are two long and two short

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s on slender filaments, inserted below the middle, or at the base of the corolla tube, alternating with the lobes of the tube. A fifth

is either sterile or lacking completely. The

anther The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s dehisce via longitudinal slits. The

pistil Gynoecium (; ; : gynoecia) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl (botany), whorl of a flower; it consists ...

is one-celled. The ovary is superior. The flowers are

pollinated Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example bees, beetles or butterflies; bird ...

by insects or birds (e.g.,

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...

s, as in ''

Castilleja ''Castilleja'', commonly known as paintbrush, Indian paintbrush, or prairie-fire, is a genus of about 200 species of Annual plant, annual and Perennial plant, perennial mostly herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska sout ...

'').

Fruits

The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

is a

dehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part. Structures that op ...

, non-fleshy, 1-locular capsule with many very minute endospermic

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s. Fruits of Orobanchaceae are small and abundant and can produce between 10,000–1,000,000 seeds per plant. These are dispersed by the wind over long distances, which increases their chances of finding a new host.

Taxonomy

The taxon was first described in 1799 by

Étienne Pierre Ventenat Étienne Pierre Ventenat (1 March 1757 – 13 August 1808) was a French botanist born in Limoges. He was the brother of naturalist Louis Ventenat (1765–1794). While employed as director of the ecclesiastic library Sainte-Geneviève in Paris, ...

as Orobanchoideae. The family name Orobanchaceae is a

conserved name A conserved name or ''nomen conservandum'' (plural ''nomina conservanda'', abbreviated as ''nom. cons.'') is a scientific name that has specific nomenclatural protection. That is, the name is retained, even though it violates one or more rules wh ...

. Despite the similar morphological traits found in both

and Orobanchaceae, the latter is now considered a separate monophyletic taxon, on both molecular and mophological grounds. The 2016

APG IV system The APG IV system of flowering plant classification is the fourth version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy for flowering plants (angiosperms) being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). It was publish ...

expanded Orobanchaceae to include genera previously placed in Scrophulariaceae, so that the family absorbed the former Lindenbergiaceae and Rehmanniaceae. These two former families may be treated as tribes.Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards)
"Orobanchaceae"
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Retrieved 2025-02-28.

Molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

studies show that they are sisters to the other Orobanchaceae genera:

Evolution

Development of the haustoria was a significant evolutionary event that allowed for the advancement of

s. The holoparasitic clade, ''

Orobanche ''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 ...

'', delineates the first transition from hemiparasitism to holoparasitism within Orobanchaceae.

Genomics

The parasitism and its different modes have been suggested to have an impact on

genome A genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding genes, other functional regions of the genome such as ...

evolution, with increased DNA substitution rates in parasitic organisms compared to non-parasitic taxa. For example, holoparasite taxa of Orobanchaceae exhibit faster

molecular evolution Molecular evolution describes how Heredity, inherited DNA and/or RNA change over evolutionary time, and the consequences of this for proteins and other components of Cell (biology), cells and organisms. Molecular evolution is the basis of phylogen ...

ary rates than confamilial hemiparasites in three

plastid A plastid is a membrane-bound organelle found in the Cell (biology), cells of plants, algae, and some other eukaryotic organisms. Plastids are considered to be intracellular endosymbiotic cyanobacteria. Examples of plastids include chloroplasts ...

genes. In a study comparing the rates of

of parasitic versus non parasitic taxa for 12 pairs of angiosperm families — including Apodanthaceae, Cytinaceae,

Rafflesiaceae The Rafflesiaceae are a family of rare parasitic plants comprising 36 species in 3 genera found in the tropical forests of east and southeast Asia, including ''Rafflesia arnoldii'', which has the largest flowers of all plants. The plants are e ...

, Cynomoriaceae,

Krameriaceae ''Krameria'' is the only genus in the Krameriaceae family, of which any of the approximately 18 species are commonly known as rhatany, ratany or rattany. Rhatany is also the name given to krameria root, a botanical remedy consisting of the dried ...

Mitrastemonaceae ''Mitrastemon'' is a genus of two widely disjunct species of parasitic plants. It is the only genus within the family Mitrastemonaceae. ''Mitrastemon'' species are root endoparasites, which grow on Fagaceae. It is also a non-photosynthetic plant ...

Boraginaceae Boraginaceae, the Borago, borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees, and herbs in 146 to 154 genus, genera with a worldwide distribution. The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single famil ...

, Orobanchaceae,

Convolvulaceae Convolvulaceae (), commonly called the bindweed, bindweeds or morning glory, morning glories, is a Family (biology), family of about 60 genera and more than 1,650 species. These species are primarily herbaceous vines, but also include trees, sh ...

Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant Family (biology), family that includes the bay laurel, true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genus (biology), genera worldwide. They are dicotyled ...

Hydnoraceae Hydnoroideae is a subfamily of holoparasitism, parasitic flowering plants in the order Piperales. Traditionally, and as recently as the APG III system it given family rank under the name Hydnoraceae. It is now submerged in the Aristolochiaceae. I ...

, and

Santalaceae The Santalaceae, sandalwoods, are a widely distributed family of flowering plants (including small trees, shrubs, perennial plants, perennial herbs, and epiphyte, epiphytic climbersHewson & George t al.'Santalaceae'' taxonomy, 1984, pp. 191-1 ...

Olacaceae Olacaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Santalales. They are woody plants, native throughout the tropical regions of the world. , the circumscription of the family varies; some sources maintain a broad family, others split it int ...

—, parasitic taxa evolve on average faster than their close relatives for mitochondrial, plastid, and nuclear genome sequences. Whereas Orobanchaceae fit to this trend for plastid DNA, they appear to evolve slower than their non parasitic counterpart in comparisons involving nuclear and mitochondrial DNA.

Genera

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

accepted 99 genera. Three further genera are accepted by other sources, and are included in the following list. *'' Aeginetia'' *'' Agalinis'' *'' Alectra'' *'' Anisantherina'' *'' Aphyllon'' Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards)
List of Genera in Orobanchaceae
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Retrieved 2025-02-28. *'' Asepalum'' *'' Aureolaria'' *'' Bardotia'' *''

Bartsia ''Bartsia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae. Etymology ''Bartsia'' was named after Johann Bartsch (Latinized as Johannes Bartsius, 1709-1738), a botanist of Königsberg. The plant was named for him by his associate ...

'' *'' Baumia'' *'' Bellardia'' *'' Boschniakia'' *'' Brachystigma'' *'' Brandisia'' *'' Buchnera'' *'' Bungea'' *'' Buttonia'' *'' Campbellia'' *''

'' *'' Centranthera'' *'' Chloropyron'' *'' Christisonia'' *'' Cistanche'' *'' Conopholis'' *'' Cordylanthus'' *'' Cyclocheilon'' *'' Cycniopsis'' *'' Cycnium'' *'' Cymbaria'' *'' Dasistoma'' *'' Dicranostegia'' *'' Epifagus'' *'' Eremitilla'' *'' Escobedia'' *'' Esterhazya'' *''

Euphrasia ''Euphrasia'', or eyebright, is a genus of about 215 species of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plants in the family (biology), family Orobanchaceae (formerly included in the Scrophulariaceae), with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are P ...

'' *'' Gerardiina'' *'' Ghikaea'' *'' Gleadovia'' *'' Graderia'' *'' Harveya'' *''

Hedbergia ''Hedbergia'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants, initially classified in Scrophulariaceae, and now within the broomrape family Orobanchaceae. It contains a unique species, ''Hedbergia abyssinica''. It is an afromontane genus, widesprea ...

'' *''

Hiernia ''Hiernia'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Orobanchaceae. It only contains one species, ''Hiernia angolensis'' S.Moore Its native range is Angola and Namibia. The genus name of ''Hiernia'' is in honour of Willi ...

'' *'' Hyobanche'' *'' Kopsiopsis'' *'' Lamourouxia'' *'' Lathraea'' *'' Leptorhabdos'' *'' Leucosalpa'' *'' Lindenbergia'' *'' Macranthera'' *'' Magdalenaea'' *'' Mannagettaea'' *'' Melampyrum'' *''

Melasma Melasma (also known as chloasma faciei,James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005). ''Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology''. (10th ed.). Saunders. . or the mask of pregnancy when present in pregnant women) is a tan or dar ...

'' *'' Micrargeria'' *'' Micrargeriella'' *'' Monochasma'' *'' Neobartsia'' *'' Nesogenes'' *'' Nothobartsia'' *'' Nothochilus'' *'' Odontitella'' *'' Odontites'' *'' Omphalotrix'' *''

'' *'' Orthocarpus'' *'' Parasopubia'' *'' Parentucellia'' *'' Pedicularis'' *'' Phacellanthus'' *'' Phelipanche'' *'' Phelypaea'' *'' Phtheirospermum'' *'' Physocalyx'' *'' Pseudobartsia'' *'' Pseudomelasma'' *'' Pseudosopubia'' *'' Pseudostriga'' *'' Pterygiella'' *'' Radamaea'' *'' Rehmannia'' *'' Rhamphicarpa'' *'' Rhaphispermum'' *''

'' *'' Rhynchocorys'' *'' Schwalbea'' *'' Seymeria'' *'' Seymeriopsis'' *'' Sieversandreas'' *'' Silviella'' *'' Siphonostegia'' *'' Sopubia'' *''

'' *'' Tetraspidium'' *'' Thunbergianthus'' *'' Tozzia'' *'' Triaenophora'' *'' Triphysaria'' *'' Vellosiella'' *'' Xylanche'' *'' Xylocalyx''

Genera by life history trait

Orobanchaceae genera listed according to their life history trait. * '' Bartsiella'' * '' Bornmuellerantha'' * '' Brachystigma'' * '' Brandisia'' * '' Cyclocheilon'' * '' Kopsiopsis'' * '' Macrosyringion'' * '' Odontiella''

Non-parasitic

* '' Lindenbergia'' * '' Rehmannia'' * '' Triaenophora''

Hemiparasitic

* '' Agalinis'' * '' Alectra'' * '' Asepalum'' * '' Aureolaria'' * ''

'' * '' Bellardia'' * '' Buchnera'' * '' Bungea'' * '' Buttonia'' * ''

'' : Indian paintbrush * '' Centranthera'' * '' Chloropyron'' * '' Cordylanthus'' : Bird's-beak * '' Cycnium'' * '' Cymbaria'' * '' Dasistoma'' * '' Dicranostegia'' * '' Escobedia'' * '' Esterhazya'' * ''

'' * '' Gerardiina'' * '' Ghikaea'' * '' Graderia'' * ''

'' * '' Lamourouxia'' * '' Leptorhabdos'' * '' Leucosalpa'' * '' Macranthera'' * '' Magdalenaea'' * '' Melampyrum'' * ''

'' * '' Micrargeria'' * '' Micrargeriella'' * '' Monochasma'' * '' Nesogenes'' * '' Nothobartsia'' * '' Nothochilus'' * '' Odontites'' * '' Omphalotrix'' * '' Orthocarpus'' * '' Parastriga'' * '' Parentucellia'' * '' Pedicularis'' * '' Petitmenginia'' * '' Phtheirospermum'' * '' Physocalyx'' * '' Pseudobartsia'' * '' Pseudomelasma'' * '' Pseudosopubia'' * '' Pseudostriga'' * '' Pterygiella'' * '' Radamaea'' * '' Rhamphicarpa'' * '' Rhaphispermum'' * ''

'' * '' Rhynchocorys'' * '' Schwalbea'' * '' Seymeria'' * '' Seymeriopsis'' * '' Sieversandreas'' * '' Silviella'' * '' Siphonostegia'' * '' Sopubia'' * '' Spirostegia'' * ''

'' * '' Tetraspidium'' * '' Thunbergianthus'' * '' Tozzia'' * '' Triphysaria'' * '' Vellosiella'' * '' Xizangia'' * '' Xylocalyx''

Holoparasitic

* '' Aeginetia'' * '' Aphyllon'' * '' Boschniakia'' : Groundcone * '' Christisonia'' * '' Cistanche'': Desert broomrape * '' Conopholis'' : Cancer-root * '' Epifagus'' : Beechdrops * '' Eremitilla'' * '' Gleadovia'' * '' Harveya'' * '' Hyobanche'' * '' Lathraea'' * '' Mannagettaea'' * ''

'' : Broomrape * '' Phacellanthus'' * '' Phelypaea'' * '' Platypholis'' * '' Tienmuia''

Distribution

The family Orobanchaceae has a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, a cosmopolitan distribution is the range of a taxon that extends across most or all of the surface of the Earth, in appropriate habitats; most cosmopolitan species are known to be highly adaptable to a range of climatic and en ...

, found mainly in

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 ...

Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

, North America, South America, parts of Australia, New Zealand, and tropical Africa. The only exception to its distribution is Antarctica, though some genera may be found in

subarctic The subarctic zone is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic, north of hemiboreal regions and covering much of Alaska, Canada, Iceland, the north of Fennoscandia, Northwestern Russia, Siberia, and the Cair ...

regions.

Ecology

This family has tremendous economic importance because of the damage to crops caused by some species in the genera ''

'' and ''

''. They often parasitize cereal crops like

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae. Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...

sorghum ''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a species in the Poaceae, grass genus ''Sorghum (genus), Sorghum'' cultivated for its grain. The grain i ...

, and other major agricultural crops like

cowpea The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus '' Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few inpu ...

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 ...

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest ...

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 ...

es, and

legume Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

s. Because of the ubiquitous nature of these particular parasites in developing countries, it is estimated to affect the livelihood of over 100 million people, killing 20 to 100 percent of crops depending on infestation. Some genera, especially '' Cistanche'' and '' Conopholis'', are threatened by human activity, including

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

and over-harvesting of both the plants and their hosts. Research for this plant family can often be difficult due to its permit requirements for collection, travel, and research.

Notes

References

External links

Wiki of Orobanchaceae
{{Authority control Lamiales families