Orobanche elatior Sutton

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
underground tuber of Orobanche elatior parasitises root of Centaurea scabiosa
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / feeds on
scattered, very minute, immersed pycnidium of Phomopsis coelomycetous anamorph of Phomopsis orobanches feeds on peduncle of Orobanche elatior

Herbs 25-45 cm tall. Stems erect, densely glandular pubescent. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, 1.5-2 cm X ca. 4 mm, along with bracts and calyx densely glandular pubescent abaxially and at margin. Inflorescences spicate, 6-15 cm, many flowered; bract similar to and as long as leaves; bractlets absent. Calyx 1-1.3 cm, irregularly 2-parted, rarely 2-parted to base; lobes ovate-lanceolate, usually irregularly 2-lobed, rarely entire. Corolla yellow or yellow-brown, campanulate, 2-2.5 cm, curved; tube enlarged upward; upper lip entire or emarginate, 7-9 mm; lower lip shorter than upper; lobes subrounded, unequal, glandular pubescent abaxially, margin irregularly dentate, glabrous. Filaments 1-1.2 cm, base sparsely pubescent, glandular pubescent upward; anthers ovoid, 1.5-1.8 mm, pubescent. Pistil 1.6-1.8 cm; ovary ellipsoid, upper part sparsely glandular pubescent. Style ca. 1 cm; stigma 2-lobed. Capsule oblong, 1-1.2 cm X 3-4 mm. Seeds oblong, ca. 0.4 X 0.3 mm. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Jul-Sep. 2n = 38.

S Gansu, W Hubei, Xinjiang [India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan; SW Asia, Europe].

Slopes, forests, sandy places; 900-3500 m.

Orobanche elatior the knapweed broomrape is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Orobanchaceae.

It is a parasitic plant that lives on knapweed. Its native range is Europe to China and Iran.