TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) previous taxon | next taxon
Jepson Interchange (more information)
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora.

    THIS PAGE IS NO LONGER UPDATED
    AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY
  • Up-to-date information about California vascular plants is available from the Jepson eFlora.

OROBANCHACEAE

BROOM-RAPE FAMILY

Lawrence R. Heckard

Annual, perennial herb, non-green root-parasites; roots modified into absorptive structures; plant an erect, fleshy, mostly underground stem (peduncle) with terminal inflorescence
Leaf: true leaves 0
Inflorescence: spike, raceme, or panicle; bracts alternate, scale-like
Flower bisexual; calyx cylindric or cup-shaped, lobes 0–5, persistent; corolla ± 2-lipped, lobes generally 5; stamens 4, epipetalous in 2 pairs (sometimes a 5th vestigial); ovary superior, chamber 1, placentas generally 2–4, parietal, simple or lobed, stigma generally 2–4-lobed, generally bowl- to funnel-shaped
Fruit: capsule, loculicidal; valves 2–4
Seeds many, small, angled; surface netted
Genera in family: 14 genera, 200 species: especially n temp
Reference: [Thieret 1971 J Arnold Arbor 52:404–432]
Recent taxonomic note: Recently treated to include hemiparasitic genera of Scrophulariaceae (e.g., Castilleja, Cordylanthus, Orthocarpus, Pedicularis, Triphysaria [Olmstead et al. 2001 Mol Phylogen Evol 16:96–112]
.

OROBANCHE

BROOM-RAPE

Annual, perennial herb, generally glandular-puberulent above; root attachment sometimes tuber-like
Stem simple or branched
Inflorescence generally ± spike-like (lower flowers often short-pedicelled or on short branches), generally dense; flowers generally > 20; bracts generally lanceolate to deltate (wider on peduncle); bractlets 0 or 2
Flower: calyx lobes generally 4–5; corolla glandular-puberulent (hairs short and tack-shaped or long-stalked), generally lacking ring of hairs at stamen bases, upper lip erect to reflexed, generally 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, spreading, yellow-lined; anthers glabrous to hairy; stigma lobes 2, spreading or peltate
Fruit 2-valved; placentas generally 2 or 4, often lobed
Seed < 0.7 mm
Species in genus: 140 species: worldwide, especially Medit
Etymology: (Greek: vetch strangler, from parasitic habit)
Reference: [Heckard 1973 Madroño 22:41–70]

Native

O. fasciculata Nutt.

CLUSTERED BROOM-RAPE


Stems 1 or clustered, 5–20 cm, branched or not
Inflorescence: raceme, ± flat-topped, generally 5–20-flowered; bracts > 6, glandular-puberulent; pedicels 3–15 cm, shorter upwards; bractlets 0
Flower: calyx lobes 3–7 mm, generally < tube, deltate, generally ± acuminate; corolla 15–30 mm, curved, becoming erect, yellow to purple-tinged, lobes rounded to narrowly acute; anthers generally hairy; stigma 2-lobed, recurved
Chromosomes: 2n=48
Ecology: Dry, generally ± bare places, generally on shrubs (especially Artemisia, Eriodictyon, Eriogonum )
Elevation: < 3300 m.
Bioregional distribution: California Floristic Province, Great Basin Floristic Province, Desert Mountains
Distribution outside California: to Yukon, c N.America, n Mexico
Flowering time: Apr–Jul
Synonyms: var. franciscana D.B. Achey; var. lutea (Parry) D.B. Achey
Plants intermediate to O. uniflora , generally on Galium , are scattered in CA-FP (especially w WTR, SNF, NCoR), s OR.

previous taxon | next taxon
bioregional map for OROBANCHE%20fasciculata being generated
 


Retrieve Jepson Interchange Index to Plant Names entry for Orobanche fasciculata
Retrieve dichotomous key for Orobanche
Return to treatment index page
Glossary
University & Jepson Herbaria Home Page | Copyright © by the Regents of the University of California