SPECIES DESCRIPTION
OROBANCHE SANGUINEA
Family and Genus:- See- OROBANCHACEAE/Sect. OROBANCHE
Common Names:- Bloody broomrape
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Orobanche (Gr) Legume-strangler. (one species is parasitic on
legumes).
Sanguinea (L) Blood-red, bloody.
General description:- Short to medium, sparsely hairy, yellowish to purplish-red
perennial.
Stems:-
1) 10-40 x 0·3-0·7 cm, swollen at the base, glandular-pubescent, yellow or purplish-
red.
Leaves:-
1) 12-35 mm, narrowly lanceolate to linear-oblong, dense especially below.
Flowers:-
1) Spike, 5-15 x c. 2·5 cm, glandular-pubescent, dense, flowers scentless.
2) Bracts, 8-15 mm, triangular-lanceolate, acuminate.
3) Calyx, 7-10.mm; segments shortly connate at the base, unequally 2-lobed.
4) Corolla, 10-15(-17) mm, glabrous or subglabrous, dark red or purple, yellow at
the base (rarely entirely yellow) outside, shining dark red inside, more or less
patent, tubular, curved or nearly straight;
a) upper lip, 2-lobed.
b) lower lip, small, not ciliate, with subequal lobes.
5) Stamen;
a) filaments, glabrous above and usually also below, inserted 1·5-2 mm above
the base of the corolla;
b) anthers, glabrous.
6) Stigma, purple.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule. 10-12 mm.
Key features:-
1) Filaments inserted 1·5-2 mm above the base of the corolla.
2) Corolla glabrous or subglabrous outside.
Habitat:- Rocky and sandy coastal habitats. 0-40(-200) m. often on small islands.
Host:- Parasitic on halophytic Legumes, e.g. Lotus, Medicago, etc.
Distribution:- Widespread but scattered in S. Europe from Portugal to the Aegean
area. On Crete known only from extreme SW and Akrotiri Peninsula.
Flowering time:- Apr-May.
Photo by:- Dr. Armin Jagel
