Family: broomrapes (Orobanchaceae)
Flowering time: June–July
Size: 20–60 cm
Habitat: dry and semi-dry meadows, shrub slopes
The simple, erect stem of the common broomrape (Orobanche caryophyllacea) is pale yellow. The stem is usually the same color as the flowers, never darker than them. Yellowish flowers with a brownish or purple tint are 20 to 35 mm long. Their scent resembles that of cloves (clove buds). The upper lip of the corolla and the pistil are clothed with pale glands. The stripe on the pistil is scarlet. The anther filaments are fused from 1 to 2 mm above the base of the corolla tube.
The common broomrape is a parasitic species that steals water and all substances needed for growth and development from other plants. It parasitizes species from the Rubiaceae family, e.g., species from the genus Galium or Asperula.
The common broomrape grows on dry soils on a calcareous substrate. It is found on sunny sites across Slovenia.
