OROBANCHE GRACILIS
Common Names:- Slender broomrape
Homotypic Synonyms:- Orobanche cruenta subsp. gracilis.
Meaning:- Orobanche (Gr) Legume-strangler. (one species is parasitic on
legumes).
Gracilis (L) Slender, graceful.
General description:- Short to medium, sparsely hairy, yellowish perennial.
Stems:-
1) 5-60 x 0·2-0·7 cm, somewhat swollen at the base, glandular-pubescent, yellow or
reddish.
Leaves:-
1) 7-15(-20) mm, ovate-deltate to lanceolate.
Flowers:-
1) Spike, 3-20 x 2·5-4 cm, glandular-pubescent, lax at least below. Flowers
fragrant.
2) Bracts, 10-20 mm, triangular, acuminate.
3) Calyx, 8-15 mm; segments free or connate at the base, usually unequally 2-
lobed.
4) Corolla, 15-25 mm, glandular-pubescent, yellow outside, usually with red veins
and reddish towards the lips, shining dark red inside, erecto-patent, broadly
tubular, slightly constricted near the middle, slightly curved.
a) upper lip, emarginate.
b) lower lip, lobes subequal, ciliate.
5) Filaments, hairy at least below, inserted not more than 2 mm above the base of
the corolla.
6) Anthers, glabrous.
7) Stigma, yellow.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, 10-15 mm.
Key features:-
1) Lower lip of the corolla with subequal lobes; ciliate.
2) Filaments, inserted not more than 2 mm above the base of corolla.
3) Flowers fragrant.
Habitat:- Maquis, open coniferous and deciduous woodland, grassy slopes (0 -
1200 m.)
Host:- Cytisus, Genista and perhaps also Cistus..
Distribution:- Scattered throughout Greece, widespread in Europe and N. Affrica.
Rare on Crete.
Flowering time:- Mar-July.
Photo by:- Dr. Armin Jagel