Orobanchaceae: Broomrape Family. Identify plants and flowers.

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Orobanchaceae
Plants of the Broomrape Family

Orobanchaceae: Broomrape Family Plant Identification Characteristics.

The Broomrape family consists of plants with figwort-like flowers that are parasitic on other plants, typically feeding off their root systems. The traditional family included only genera lacking chlorophyll, which are easy to recognize, since the vegetation isn't green. Taxonomists have expanded the family to include partially parasitic (hemiparasitic) genera, which were formerly included in the Figwort family. These plants have chlorophyll and produce their own energy through photosynthesis, so they are not wholly dependent on their host plants.

Unfortunately, the casual observer would not recognize them as hemiparasitic plants, so the connection to the Broomrape family is not obvious. But these new additions to the family often have highly modified or contorted flowers. There are typical figwort-like features, such as irregular, tubular flowers, often with 2 petal lobes up and 3 down, but most flowers are contorted such that they do not look like other figworts, either. There are several tribes of closely related genera within the Broomrape family, but for convenience in identification, all are lumped into two groups below, those with and without chlorophyll. Keep in mind that the Indian Pipe, Morning Glory and Orchid families also include species without chlorophyll.

Key Words: Parasitic plants with Figwort-like flowers.

Holoparasitic Genera | Hemiparasitic Genera
(Plants without Chlorophyll) | (Plants with Chlorophyll)

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Holoparasitic Genera (Plants without Chlorophyll)
If you find a plant with Figwort-like flowers and no chlorophyll, then it is likely a holoparasitic member of the Broomrape family. Plants of this group are parasitic on the roots of other plants. They have no leaves, but the stalk is wrapped with alternate bracts. The flowers are bisexual and irregular. The corolla is tubular with an upper and lower lip, similar to the Figwort family. There are 2 to 5 united sepals, 5 united petals and 4 stamens appearing in pairs. The ovary is positioned superior and consists of 2 united carpels forming a single chamber. It matures as a capsule with many seeds.

Orobanche fasciculata. Clustered Broomrape. Chiricahua Mountains. Near Portal, Arizona.	Orobanche fasciculata. Clustered Broomrape. This one is parasitic on Artemisia frigida. Hell's Canyon. Highland Mountains. Near Silver Star, Montana.
Orobanche fasciculata. Clustered Broomrape. Kettle Falls, Washington.	Orobanche fasciculata. Clustered Broomrape. Kettle Falls, Washington.
Conopholis alpina. Alpine Cancer Root.	Conopholis alpina. Alpine Cancer Root. Chiricahua Mountains. Near Portal, Arizona.