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Orobanche and their Host Plants
Most Orobanche and Phelipanche are adapted to few plant species or families on which they are cadging. In each row an Orobanche species is presented with one or two of its hosts.   In the first ten rows you can find the Phelipanche which are usually colored blue or violet. Because of their additional narrow lateral bracts (bracteoles on both sides of the wider central bract) they have been separated from the actual Orobanche as an own genus Phelipanche.   Phelipanche ramosa is parasite on cultivated plants as Tobacco, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Hemp, and Maize.
Phelipanche ramosa / Hemp Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Nicotiana tabacum / Virginian Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Cannabis sativa / Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Phelipanche mutelii / Mutel's Hemp Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Phelipanche mutelii / Mutel's Hemp Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Oxalis pes-caprae / Bermuda Buttercup Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Phelipanche nana / Dwarf Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Above: Phelipanche mutelii is usually found on the Bermuda Buttercup Oxalis pes-caprae which has been introduced to the Mediterranean from South Africa. But it is said to parasitise various Asteraceae and Umbelliferous plants, too.           Left: Phelipanche nana is parasite on a big number of native plants of the Mediterranean of many different families, such as Fabaceae, Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Geraniaceae, Rubiaceae, Plantaginaceae, Brassicaceae, and Rosaceae.		Caucalis platycarpos / Small Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Phelipanche schultzii / Schultz' Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Smyrnium olusatrum / Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Phelipanche schultzii is parasite of many different plants, preferential of Apiaceae, but also of Rubia peregrina, Stachys glutinosa, and Scorpiurus. Usually Phelipanche schultzii grows higher than the plant which I photographed in a rather dry year.
Phelipanche inexspectata / Lettuce Moss, Inexpected Hemp Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Phelipanche inexspectata has been separated from Phelipanche mutelii in 2005. It occurs in the Western Mediterranean. As hosts up to now only several Lettuces of genus Lactuca are known.		Lactuca serriola / Prickly Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Phelipanche hedypnoidis / Cretan Weed Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.				Hedypnois rhagadioloides / Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.     Only in 2017 this yellowish-lilac colored Phelipanche has been described from a coastal site in Rodos, it occurs also at other locations of the Mediterranean coast and of the North-African coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Usually the host is Cretan Weed Hedypnois rhagadioloides, but rarely other Composites, Plantains, Apiaceae, and Brassicaceae, too.
Phelipanche rumseyana / Rumsey's Rosemary Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Salvia rosmarinus / Rosemary Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Phelipanche rumseyana belongs to a group of Phelipanche which are parasites on Rosemary. It is an endemism of the eastern Balearic Islands.
Despite its name the hosts of the Lavender Broomrape aren't Lavender bushes, but various herbaceous plants, often Pitch Trefoil Bituminaria bituminosa. Only the violet color of the flowers of this Broomrape is compared with that of Lavender. Rarely one can find the strange deformation of the Lavender Broomrape which is shown on the middle photo.
Phelipanche lavandulacea / Lavender Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Phelipanche lavandulacea / Lavender Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Bituminaria bituminosa / Pitch Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Phelipanche arenaria / Wormwood Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Phelipanche arenaria / Wormwood Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Artemisia campestris / Field Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Phelipanche purpurea / Yarrow Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Achillea millefolium agg. / Yarrow Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Left: Phelipanche purpurea is parasite on several Composites as e.g. Achillea, Artemisia, and Cirsium, but also on Lamium species.               Below: Orobanche crenata is the one which gave the name Orobanche to the genus, the word Orobanche means "Pea Choker". It is parasite of different Legumes including economic plants of this family, but also of Carrots (Apiaceae) and Geraniums.
Orobanche crenata / Carnation-scented Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche crenata / Carnation-scented Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Lathyrus oleraceus subsp. biflorus / Field Pea Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche teucrii / Germander Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Teucrium montanum / Mountain Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Teucrium chamaedrys / Wall Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche alba / Thyme Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche alba / Thyme Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Thymus pulegioides / Large Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche reticulata subsp. pallidiflora / Pale Thistle Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Carduus acanthoides / Welted Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Above: Orobanche alba is parasite on several Labiatae as Thymus and Origanum, rarely also on Potentilla, Euphorbia, and Heracleum species.             Left: Orobanche reticulata subsp. pallidiflora is the Orobanche which is cadging on thistles (Cirsium, Carduus).             Below: The other subspecies of the Thistle Orobanche, Orobanche reticulata subsp. reticulata is more often found on Knautia and Scabiosa than on thistles. It's more an alpine plant.
Orobanche reticulata subsp. reticulata / Thistle Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Scabiosa lucida subsp. lucida / Shining Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Carlina acaulis / Stemless Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche baumanniorum / Baumann's Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Pterocephalus perennis / Mount Parnassus Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		The very dark colored Orobanche baumanniorum parasitizes scabious-like Caprifoliaceae (formerly Dipsacaceaeae), mainly the mat-forming species of genus Pterocephalus.
Below: The hairy Orobanche pubescens lives from different Apiaceae and Asteraceae, but also from Garden Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus.
Orobanche pubescens / Hairy Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Smyrnium olusatrum / Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Glebionis segetum / Corn Marygold Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche amethystea / Seaholly Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche amethystea / Seaholly Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Eryngium campestre / Field Thistle Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche artemisiae-campestris / Wormwood Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Artemisia campestris / Field Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche picridis / Picris Moss, Oxtongue Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche picridis / Picris Moss, Oxtongue Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Picris hieracioides / Hawkweed Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche minor / Lesser Moss, Common Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Trifolium repens / White Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Trifolium pratense / Red Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche litorea / Bright Common Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Medicago rigidula / Rigid Moss, Tifton Burclover Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche hederae / Ivy Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche hederae / Ivy Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Hedera helix / Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche latisquama / Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Salvia rosmarinus / Rosemary Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche caryophyllacea / Bedstraw Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche caryophyllacea / Bedstraw Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Galium verum / Lady's Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche lutea / Yellow Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche lutea / Yellow Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Medicago x varia / Sand Lucerne Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche elatior / Tall Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche elatior / Tall Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Centaurea scabiosa / Greater Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.     In the Mediterranean also several other Composites are hosts.
Orobanche kochii / Koch's Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Centaurea aspera / Rough Star-Thistle Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
The three following Central European subspecies of Orobanche alsatica are closely related and are parasites on Apiaceae:
Orobanche alsatica subsp. alsatica / Alsatian Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche alsatica subsp. alsatica / Alsatian Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Peucedanum cervaria / Broad-Leaved Spignel Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche alsatica subsp. libanotidis / Bartling's Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche alsatica subsp. libanotidis / Bartling's Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Seseli libanotis / Moon Carrot Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche alsatica subsp. mayeri / Mayer's Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche alsatica subsp. mayeri / Mayer's Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Laserpitium latifolium / Broad-Leaved Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche flava / Butterbur Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche flava / Butterbur Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Petasites albus / White Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche lucorum / Barberry Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche lucorum / Barberry Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Berberis vulgaris / Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche salviae / Sage Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Salvia glutinosa / Sticky Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Salvia glutinosa / Sticky Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche pancicii / Pancic Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Knautia dipsacifolia / Wood Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		The Eastern European Orobanche pancicii lives on roots of Scabiosa and Knautia.
Orobanche rapum-genistae / Greater Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Cytisus scoparius / Scotch Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche rapum-genistae is parasite on several Fabaceae, mainly Brooms and Gorses.
Orobanche variegata / Variegated Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Cytisus scoparius / Scotch Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche variegata is parasite on several Fabaceae, mainly shrubs.
Orobanche gracilis / Slender Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Hippocrepis comosa / Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Genista tinctoria / Dyer's Greenweed Oleaceae / Ash Fam.     Orobanche gracilis is parasite on several Fabaceae, mainly on Brooms and Clovers in wide sense.
Orobanche austrohispanica / Southern-Spanish Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Ulex gallii / Western Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Orobanche austrohispanica is closely related to Orobanche gracilis but of stronger growth, and is also parasite on different .
Orobanche sanguinea / Bloody Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Lotus ornithopodioides / Clustered Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
Orobanche cypria / Cyprian Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.		Thymus integer / Cyprus Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.       Orobanche cypria is parasite on three endemic small bushes of Cyprus: Cyprus Thyme Thymus integer, Multi-Flowered Scabious Pterocephalus multiflorus subsp. multiflorus (front left in left photo), and Cyprus Skullcap Scutellaria cypria.		Scutellaria cypria / Cyprus Moss Oleaceae / Ash Fam.
There is a page on parasitic plants of other genus, too.

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Contents

Orchids

Other Plants

Plants acc. to Families

.. Relationship:

APG

trad.

.. Scientific Names

.. German Names

.. English Names

.. Bloom Colors

.. Flower Anatomy

.. Leaf Form

.. Regions

.. Photo Month

.. Fruits + Seed

.. Roots + Bulbs

Pest Infestation + Deformations

Trees

Bushes

Water Plants

Climbers + Twiners

Useful Pl.

Ornamental Pl.

Color Var.

Multiple Criteria

Biotopes + Groups

Botan.Links

9-Oct-24

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