Orobanche

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Orobanche >

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Read about Orobanche in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Orobanche (old Greek; said to be given because the species strangle or kill the orobus or vetch). Orobanchaceae. Broom-rape. Parasitic herbs of purple or brown color, without green foliage, growing on the ground and attached to the roots of other plants. Other genera of the family are Aphyllon and Lathraea, which see. In Orobanche, the calyx is deeply divided into 2 or 4 pointed sepals; corolla broadly tubular or bell- shaped, often curved, more or less 2-lipped; stamens 4, in 2 pairs; ovary 1-celled.—About 100 species, if Aphyllon and some others are included, widely distributed, a number of them in Eu. They are scarcely horticultural subjects, although it is possible to grow them. Writing in The Garden (59, p. 93), Francis D. Horner, says that he was able to grow O. speciosa 3 ft. 8 in. high, with many showy fls., and that it began to bloom at 8 in. high. He establishes them on the roots of beans. He grows 3 Or 4 beans in a 7-in. pot, and when they are 2 or 3 Lvs. high and the roots well around the pot, orobanche seeds are sown over the damp surface. Before the beans are pot-bound, they are planted out with the ball of earth unbroken. The orobanche heads will appear in July. It is essential that the beans do not get into bloom before the seed of the parasite is sown, otherwise it will not get a sufficiently early start to ripen. When fls. of the parasite have turned into shades of brown and the stems have fallen, the plants are stored for seed, which is minute. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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