Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Share

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:
Orobanche uniflora (One-flowered broomrape)
Marcus, Joseph A.

Orobanche uniflora

Orobanche uniflora L.

One-flowered Broomrape, One-flower Cancer Root

Orobanchaceae (Broom-Rape Family)

Synonym(s): Aphyllon uniflorum, Orobanche porphyrantha, Orobanche purpurea, Orobanche sedii, Orobanche terrae-novae, Orobanche uniflora ssp. occidentalis, Orobanche uniflora var. minuta, Orobanche uniflora var. occidentalis, Orobanche uniflora var. purpurea, Orobanche uniflora var. sedii, Orobanche uniflora var. terrae-novae, Orobanche uniflora var. typica, Thalesia uniflora

USDA Symbol: ORUN

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N), SPM (N)

A parasitic plant with mostly 1-3 erect, slender, leafless yellowish-brown stalks rising from a short underground stem, each stalk topped by 1 white to whitish-lavender to purple, fragrant, bilaterally symmetrical flower with a yellow center.

This parasitic plant obtains its nourishment from the roots of various other plants, often stonecrops (Sedum). Its underground stem is quite short, usually 1-1 1/2" (2.5-4 cm) long. Clustered Broomrape (O. fasciculata), also known as Yellow Broomrape, has mostly 5-10 long, slender, 1-flowered stalks rising from a short, trunk-like stem usually 2-6" (5-15 cm) long; it occurs in the midwestern and Plains states. Louisiana Broomrape (O. ludoviciana), also found in the Midwest and on the plains, has flowers in dense, spike-like clusters. Both of these species are parasitic, especially on members of the aster family (Asteraceae). Lesser Broomrape (O. minor), with purple-tinged flowers in dense spikes, is parasitic mostly on the roots of clovers (Trifolium), of the pea family (Fabaceae); it was naturalized from Europe and now occurs from New York to Florida.

 

From the Image Gallery

14 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 10 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Yellow , Purple
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AK , AL , AR , AZ , CA , CO , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , ID , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NM , NV , NY , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , UT , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV , WY
Canada: AB , BC , NB , NL , NS , ON , PE , QC , SK
Native Distribution: Southwestern Canada south throughout West; Ontario east to Newfoundland, south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to South Dakota.
Native Habitat: Damp woods and thickets; open places from lowlands to moderate elevations in mountains.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant Flowers: yes

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:AGCPAKAWCBEMPGPHIMWNCNEWMVE
Status: FACU UPL FACU FACU UPL UPL UPL FACU
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Orobanche uniflora in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Orobanche uniflora in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Orobanche uniflora

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-26
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back