Class
Order
Classification
Subordinate Taxa
Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Orobanchaceae
Description
Annual, biennial or perennial herbs without chlorophyll, parasitic upon the roots of other flowering plants. Stems erect, with alternate scale lvs crowded towards the base. Infl. usually a terminal spike or raceme, rarely fls solitary or in panicles. Fls bracteate, ☿, zygomorphic. Calyx ± tubular, 4–5-lobed or -toothed, irregularly split, forming 2 lips or nearly regular and cup-shaped. Corolla 5-lobed, often curved, 2-lipped to nearly regular; lobes imbricate. Stamens 4, didynamous, the fifth (adaxial) stamen reduced to a staminode or 0. Ovary superior, 1-locular, with 2–4 parietal placentas; ovules numerous; stigma ± 2-lobed. Fr. a loculicidal capsule. Seeds small, usually numerous, with minute embryo, endospermic.
[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]
Biostatus
| Category | Number |
|---|---|
| Indigenous (Endemic) | 16 |
| Exotic: Fully Naturalised | 4 |
| Exotic: Casual | 2 |
| Total | 22 |
Bibliography
Cronquist, A. 1988: The evolution and classification of flowering plants. The New York Botanic Gardens, New York.
Mabberley, D.J. 2008: Mabberley's plant book, a portable dictionary of plants, their classification and uses. Edition 3. Cambridge University Press.
