SPECIES DESCRIPTION
OROBANCHE ALBA
Family and Genus:- See- OROBANCHACEAE/Sect. OROBANCHE
Common Names:- Thyme broomrape
Homotypic Synonyms:- Orobanche epithymum
Meaning:- Orobanche (Gr) Legume-strangler. (one species is parasitic on
legumes).
Alba (L) White.
General description:- Short, reddish-purple perennial, glandular-hairy.
Stems:-
1) Up to (7-)12-40 cm tall, (2-)3-8 mm thick at the base, glandular-pubescent,
usually purplish-red.
Leaves:-
1) 12-20 mm, lanceolate.
Flowers:-
1) Inflorescence 3-l0(-17) x (2-)3-4.5 cm, lax, or often dense and ± capitate in small
plants.
2) Bracts, equalling or slightly exceeding the flowers.
3) Calyx, 0-15 mm, segments, free, usually entire, long-acuminate from an ovate
base, with 1-3 conspicuous veins.
4) Corolla, 15-25(-30) mm, broadly tubular to campanulate, (6-)7-10 mm wide at
the mouth, whitish, pink or purplish, rarely yellowish to brownish-violet, with
purple veins, usually ± densely covered with dark purple glandular hairs.
a) upper lip. emarginate.
b) lower lip, lobes, truncate to rounded, crenate-dentate, glandular-ciliate.
5) Stamens, inserted 2-3 mm above base the of the corolla tube, pilose at base,
glandular-hairy above.
a) filaments, densely hairy at least at the base, inserted 1-3 mm above the base
of the corolla.
b) anthers subglabrous.
6) Stigma, usually purple or flesh-coloured.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, 10-12 mm.
Key features:-
1) Bracteoles, absent.
2) Stigma, purple, orange or dark red at anthesis.
3) Lower lip of corolla glandular-ciliate.
4) Stamens, inserted not more than 3 mm above base of the corolla.
5) Many of the hairs on the corolla dark at least at the base or apex
Host:- Lamiaceae (usually Thymus, but also Calamintha, Origanum, Salvia,
Thymbra, etc.).
Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, scrubland vegetation, meadows and open
woodland, (0 - 1100 m.).
Distribution:- Throughout Greece, widespread in C. And S. Europe and SW. Asia.
Rare on Crete, mainly scattered around coastal areas.
Flowering time:-Late Apr-July.
Photos by:- Dr. Armin Jagel
