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Orobanche cooperi

Orobanche cooperi (A. Gray) A. Heller

Desert Broomrape, Spike Broomrape

Orobanchaceae (Broom-Rape Family)

Synonym(s): Aphyllon cooperi, Myzorrhiza cooperi, Orobanche cooperi ssp. cooperi, Orobanche cooperi ssp. latiloba, Orobanche ludoviciana var. cooperi, Orobanche ludoviciana var. latiloba

USDA Symbol: ORCO4

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

A fleshy plant with dense spikes, singly or in clusters, of bilaterally symmetrical, dark purple flowers.

The proper classification of this plant remains unclear. It is often considered a subspecies of Prairie Broomrape (Orobanche ludoviciana), a species widespread in the West, and its distinction from O. multiflora is also debated. All Orobanche species are parasites on the roots of other plants; this species is particularly common on White Bur Sage (Ambrosia dumosa), a shrubby member of the aster family (Asteraceae). It has also become a parasite on tomato crops in southeastern California's Coachella Valley.