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Orobanchaceae
Broomrape
Orobanche gracilis
Hidden dependency.
- Family
- Orobanchaceae
- Genus
- Orobanche
- Native to
- Europe, Mediterranean, Western Asia
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- annual
- Height
- 0.5-2 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- dry, well-drained
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 5-9
- Lifespan
- annual
Did you know
- Broomrape is a holoparasitic plant — it contains no chlorophyll and survives entirely by stealing nutrients from host plant roots.
- It parasitizes legumes such as clovers, vetches, and broom, attaching to roots underground and drawing water and sugars.
- Despite being a parasite, it produces attractive tubular flowers in shades of reddish-yellow with purple veining.
- Because it has no green parts, broomrape cannot photosynthesize and is completely invisible until it sends up flowering spikes.
- The genus contains over 200 species worldwide and some are serious agricultural pests in Mediterranean farming.
Color meanings
0
hidden dependency
1
parasitism
2
botanical curiosity