Phelipanche ramosa (L.) Pomel

Branched Broomrape

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Branched Broomrape is an introduced herbaceous annual in the Broomrape family (Orobanchaceae). It is native to Central Asia, southern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. It has been introduced in the North and South America, western and southern Africa, and Australia. In Alabama it has been collected at a single site in Montgomery County. It is a holoparasite (completely lacking chlorophyll) and must establish a connection with a host plants within days of germination to survive. It is a parasite on many cultivated and wild plants including members of the families Alliaceae, Amaranthaceae, Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, Linaceae, Malvaceae, Oxalidaceae, Plantaginaceae, Polygonaceae and Rubiaceae. It produces a swollen underground tuberous root with haustoria (specialized parasitic roots) connecting it with the roots of the host plant. Flowers are produced in leafless spikes or racemes. Each flower is subtended by a large bract and two smaller bracteoles. The calyx has 4 equal lobes. The corolla is bilabiate with the lower lip 3-lobed and the upper lip is 2-lobed. The flowers are blue or cream in color with the lower lip marked with white. The fruit is a capsule with hundreds of small seed. A single plant has the potential to produce a quarter of a million seed. The seed can remain dormant in the soil of up to 10 years.--A. Diamond

This species was first reported for Alabama in 2016 by Alvin Diamond based on his collection from Montgomery County.

Not Native

Diamond, A. R. 2016. New vascular plant county records from Alabama. Phytoneuron 2016-70: 1-6.