Orobanche crenata
Bean broomrape Αγριόλυκοσ
Orobancheae Dicot.
This elegant broomrape has intricate flowers which are arranged in a terminal spike. The colour is variable but most often it is cream with purple markings. It is a parasitic, taking nourishment from plants in the bean and pea family. In spite of its attractive appearance it can be very damaging in vegetable gardens and to crops, including peas, chickpeas and lentils.
Orobanche - broomrapes
The fascinating flowers of the family Orobanche visually resemble orchids, but they are quite different; they are more closely related to Scrophulariaceae, the figwort family.
They are unusual in the plant kingdom as they have no green leaves and no chlorophyll; they are unable to photosynthesise to produce their own energy. They are wholly parasitic, attaching to the roots of other plants and they derive all their nutrition from their hosts.
Many members of the genus are parasitic on a single species and others are restricted to a genus or family. Some, however have a wider range of hosts; these tend to be more common. The hosts may be wildflowers and little damage may be caused to them but sometimes the hosts are valuable crops, when broomrapes can be devastating.
The identification, classification and differentiation of orobanche species is notoriously difficult and nomenclature is confusing, but new methods involving the structure of seeds and genetic studies have been developed to help identify these economically important weeds.
"A considerable number may be accepted as certain, many are probable, some no more than possible.” A.F. Hort.1
1. THEOPHRASTUS. ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS. Vol. I & II. Translated by A.F.Hort. Loeb Classics. Harvard University Press.
Orobanche from Greek οροβος - bitter vetch + αγχω - to strangle
crenata from Latin meaning blunt teeth
