BROOMRAPE

any member of about 140 species of the genus Orobanche and its family (Orobanchaceae), which contains 14 genera (including Boschniakia) and about 180 species in all. All are parasitic herbs, with little green tissue (i.e., they have little chlorophyll and do not produce their food photosynthetically to any great extent); instead, they draw nourishment from the roots of other plants by means of small suckers. The broomrape family, which occurs in the Northern Hemisphere, is characterized by the nongreen colour of the plants, irregularly shaped flowers, scales in place of leaves, and one-chambered capsules that contain numerous minute seeds. The plants may be yellowish, brownish, purplish, or white.