[Orobanche species]
BROOMRAPE COMPARISONS
STEMS COROLLA STIGMAS STAMENS SYMBIONTS UNUSUAL FEATURES BRACTEOLES
(at base of calyx)
Common Broomrape
(O. minor ssp. minor)
• 10-30 (60)cm high × 4-8mm
• Reddish-brown, rarely yellow
• Variably washed purple
•Lower lip of flower cut into 3 equal & blunt lobes without prominent bosses
• 10-18mm long
• Creamy-yellow, usu. strongly-washed purple
• Usually purple
• The 2 stigma lobes separated
• Filaments usu. hairless or sparsely-hairy at base
• inserted 2-3.5mm above base of corolla
• Huge range of Dicots
• but usu. Fabaceae & Asteraceae, esp. Clover but huge
• Lips of calyx each usu. 2-lobed • 1 Large
Common Broomrape
(O. minor ssp. maritima)
[RR]
• 10-30 (60)cm high
• Yellowish, usu. strongly tinged darker purple
• 10-18mm long
•Lower lip of corolla cut into 3 lobes with large yellow bosses, the middle lobe larger
• The 2 stigma lobes partly fused • (same as ssp. minor) • Carrots, Buck's-horn Plantain & Common Restharrow • Lips of calyx each only 1-lobed • 1 present
Ivy Broomrape
(O. hederae)
[R]
• 10-60cm high × 4-8mm
• Dark-purplish
• Flowers all the way up the stem.
• Brownish-yellow
• 10-22mm long
• washed dull-cream
• purple veined
• Slightly indented just behind mouth
• Usu. dull-yellow
sometimes purple
• Filaments usu. hairless
• inserted 3-4mm above base of corolla
• Ivy
esp. Atlantic Ivy
• 'Nose-cone' of unopened buds at top
• Lower lip of flowers with ±pointed lobes
• 1 present
Knapweed Broomrape
(O. elatior)
[R]
• 25-75cm high × stout 10-15mm
• Yellowish-brown (rarely red)
• Slightly ridged
• Glandular hairy (yellow hairs)
• 18-25mm long • Yellow • Filaments usu. hairy to the tip
• inserted (3)4-6mm above base of corolla
• Greater Knapweed • None present
Yarrow Broomrape
(O. purpurea)
[RR]
• 15-45cm high × 4-6mm
• Brownish, tinged Bluish
• 18-26mm long
• Purplish-blue
• White, or v. pale blue • Filaments hairless
• inserted 5-8mm above base of corolla
• Yarrow • Calyx teeth: four
(two each side of calyx and in axil of each bract)
Two small strap-shaped pointed bracteoles
(two each side of calyx)
Thyme Broomrape
(O. alba)
[RR]
• 8-25 (35)cm high × 5-10mm
• Purplish-red
• 15-20 (25)mm long
• Pale cream, usually washed dark-red
• Reddish
• The 2 stigma lobes partly fused
• Filaments hairy
• inserted 1-3mm above base of corolla
• Wild Thyme • Plants distinctively reddish all over
• Flowers sweetly scented
• None present
Greater Broomrape
(O. rapum-genistae)
• 20-90cm high × 10-15mm
• Yellowish
Strongly washed purplish-red
• 20-25mm long
• Pale yellow to reddish,
deeper-red inside
• Yellow • Filaments glandular hairy towards the tip
- bottom 2/3rds hairless
• inserted <2mm above base of corolla
• Woody members of Fabaceae
esp. Broom or Common Gorse
• Flowers have strong pong
• Often tall, but Knapweed Broomrape can be taller
• Scales have dark central line
• None present
Oxtongue Broomrape
(O. pteridis)
[RRR]
• Up to 60cm tall × 8-13mm
• Pale yellowish, often tinged purple
occ. hairless
• 14-22mm long
• White to pale yellow
• Tinged & veined Purple
• Purple • Filaments downy below
• inserted (2)3-5mm above base of corolla
• spp. of Picris & Crepis • 1 present
Bedstraw Broomrape
(O. caryophyllacca)
[RRR]
• Up to 40cm high × 3.5-9mm
• Tinged yellow or white (occ pinkish)
• 20-32mm long
• Tinged yellow with reddish or purplish-brown
• Purple
• The 2 stigma lobes separated
• Filaments hairy usu. at top
• inserted 1-3(5)mm above base of corolla
• Hedge Bedstraw • None present
Thistle Broomrape
(O. reticulata )
(ssp. pallidiflora) in UK
[RRR]
• Up to 70cm high
• Pale yellowish, often purplish below
• 12-22mm long
• Yellow with purplish tinge
• Purple • Filaments hairless to sparsely hairy to the tip
• inserted 2-4mm higher than base of corolla
• Both Carduus and Cirsium Thistles • None present
Bean Broomrape
(O. crenata)
• Up to 80cm high
• Yellowish to purplish
• 20-30mm long
• White with mauve veins
• White or yellow or pinkish • Filaments sparesly hairy to tip
• inserted 2-4mm above base of corolla
• On herbaceous Fabaceae, often crop spp. • Scales mostly near bottom coloured yellow or purple-brown • 1 present
STEMS COROLLA STIGMAS STAMENS SYMBIONTS UNUSUAL FEATURES BRACTEOLES
(at base of calyx)

ABBREVIATIONS       usu. = usually      esp. = especially      v. = very      spp. = species      occ. - occasionally