Bedstraw Broomrape
Orobanche caryophyllacea
Bedstraw Broomrape is a parasitic flowering plant that lacks chlorophyll and appears as a pale, yellowish-brown spike emerging from the ground. This holoparasitic species attaches to the roots of bedstraw plants (Galium species) and other members of the Rubiaceae family, drawing all its nutrients from its host.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orobanche_caryophyllacea
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Family
Orobanchaceae
Genus
Orobanche
Bedstraw Broomrape belongs to the family Orobanchaceae, order Lamiales, within the Magnoliopsida class.
Species Profile
Bedstraw Broomrape is a parasitic flowering plant that lacks chlorophyll and appears as a pale, yellowish-brown spike emerging from the ground. This holoparasitic species attaches to the roots of bedstraw plants (Galium species) and other members of the Rubiaceae family, drawing all its nutrients from its host. The plant produces small, tubular flowers arranged densely along its unbranched stem and plays a specialized ecological role as a root parasite in grassland ecosystems.
Bedstraw Broomrape is declining primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized grassland environments. Agricultural intensification, urban development, and changes in land management practices have significantly reduced the availability of suitable host plants and appropriate habitat conditions.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Bedstraw Broomrape occurs in calcareous grasslands, chalk downs, and limestone pavements where its host bedstraw species are abundant. It typically grows in short, nutrient-poor turf maintained by traditional grazing regimes on well-drained, alkaline soils.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Bedstraw Broomrape is declining primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized grassland environments. Agricultural intensification, urban development, and changes in land management practices have significantly reduced the availability of suitable host plants and appropriate habitat conditions.
Agricultural intensification
Habitat loss and fragmentation
Loss of host plant populations
Changes in grassland management
Urban development
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Bedstraw Broomrape (Orobanche caryophyllacea). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/bedstraw-broomrape