Broom rape

Properly called "broomrape". A parasitic weed. Broomrape is an obligate parasite on the roots of other plants which it attaches to, "stealing" water and nutrients from them. It can be identified by its 15-50 cm brownish stem, with small triangular leaves and yellow-white or pink flowers.

Some of the crop hosts of broomrape include lettuce and sunflower (Compositae), tobacco (Solanaceae), clover, peanut, and alfalfa (Leguminosae), and celery and carrot (Umbelliferae).

(Sources: Georgia Cooperative Pest Survey factsheet, Oregon Department of Agriculture)

Broom" rape` (?). Bot.

A genus (Orobanche) of parasitic plants of Europe and Asia. They are destitute of chlorophyll, have scales instead of leaves, and spiked flowers, and grow attached to the roots of other plants, as furze, clover, flax, wild carrot, etc. The name is sometimes applied to other plants related to this genus, as Aphyllon uniflorumand A. Ludovicianum.

© Webster 1913.