Bedstraw Broomrape is a
native
perennial plant of the UK, typically found growing in grassland on stabilised sand-dunes, next to its host species, to a mature height of up to 40cm.
Bedstraw Broomrape is a parasitic plant, named after its hosts, Hedge Bedstraw (Galium mollugo) and Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum). The term 'Broomrape' comes from the habit of some closely-related species of parasitising Broom plants and the Latin 'rapum' meaning 'tuber' (describing its underground storage structures). As the plant extracts its nutrients through contact with the roots of its host, it has no need for chlorophyll. The stems of Bedstraw Broomrape are downy, beige or pinkish in colour, with brown scale-like leaves and bracts. The plant has spikes of tubular flowers, with lobed lips, also covered in fine hairs. These are pinky-white, creamy-white or straw-coloured, and scented - giving rise to the alternative common name of 'Clove-Scented Broomrape'.
Botanic classification and naming: Bedstraw Broomrape is a member of the Broomrape (Orobanchaceae) family. The genus name
'Orobanche' identifies the plant as a Broomrape and its species name 'caryophyllacea' means 'clove-scented'.
Concerns: Bedstraw Broomrape is a rare and vulnerable plant, found only in a few sites mainly in East Kent, and is a legally protected 'listed plant' under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981). This prohibits picking, damaging and removal of the plant from the wild.
Benefits: Attracts Bumble Bees, wasps and hoverflies, which act as the plant's pollinators.
Benefits to wildlife are also indicated with orange icons in the plant profile bar at the top.
|