Lesser broomrape
Orobanche minor
Family: Orobanchaceae
What it is like
A plant which keeps growing from year to year and which has erect annual shoots. It grows as a parasite living on the roots of clover or tobacco. It grows about 40 cm high. It has glandular hairs. They are brown or yellow. The scale leaves are oval or sword shaped and 1-2 cm long. The flower spike is dense. It becomes lax before flowering. The flowers do not have stalks. The fruit is a capsule 8-9 mm long. There are many seeds.
There are about 140 Orobanche species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate and Mediterranean plant. It grows attached to a range of plants especially legumes. In Africa it grows up to 3,000 m above sea level. Tasmania Herbarium.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Albania, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Britain, Canary Is., Caucasus, Central America, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Crete, Cyprus, East Africa, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Europe, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Libya, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mediterranean (country/location of origin), Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, North America, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sicily, Socotra, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tasmania, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Uganda, Ukraine, USA, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The tender underground shoots have been prepared and eaten like asparagus.
Edible parts
Shoots
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
Orabanche abyssinica A. Rich.; and others