From the Greek orobos, a kind of vetch, and anchone, “choke or strangle” because of a parasitic habit, this was the Greek name of a plant that was parasitic on vetch
This North American native is parasitic, stealing its nutrients from nearby roots.
”Broom” may refer to the broomlike shape of the plant, while “rape” (from Latin rapum)
refers to lumps that form on the roots. Orobanche translates roughly to “vetch-strangler,” while
uniflora means “single-flower.”
Identification: These tiny plants, less than 2" (6 cm) high,
are easily overlooked. For one thing, they don’t appear to have leaves. They don’t need them. Instead, they
wrap around roots of other plants, taking nutrients directly from them. (There are some “vestigial”
leaves, small brown scales along the stem.) Tiny hairy stalks emerge directly
from the ground. Each stalk is topped with a single nodding 5-petaled flower, yellowish-white or purple,
about 1" (2.5 cm) long.
