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67.) OROBANCHACEAE - Broomrape family

OROBANCHACEAE - Broomrape family

MELAMPYRUM L.

  • Melampyrum pratense L. (Common Cow-wheat) - Woodland

  • ssp. pratense Found in woodland on acidic soils. Only recently recorded from Hanham Woods and From Valley.

  • ssp. latifolium Schübl. & G. Martens (Common Cow-wheat) - [Yatton, 1892, Mrs. Gregory - Brist. Fl.] - not accepted by Stace but is by Kew. Woodland Extinct

  • ssp. commutatum (Tausch ex A. Kern.) C.E. Britton. var. commutatum (Common Cow-wheat) Woodland Extinct Found on limestone soils. Historically recorded from ST47 pre-1930s by ? [BSBI record].

EUPHRASIA L.

  • Euphrasia officinalis L.

  • ssp. pratensis (Fr.) Schübl. & G. Martens (E. rostkoviana Hayne) (Rostkov's Eyebright - Stace, Large-flowered Sticky Eyebright - NBN) Grassland

  • ssp. anglica (Pugsley) Silverside (English Eyebright - Stace, English Sticky Eyebright - NBN) /- Grassland

  • Euphrasia arctica Lange ex Rostrup ssp. borealis (F. Towns.) Yeo (Arctic Eyebright) - [Brist. Fl. as E. brevipila] Grassland Recorded at Hutton Hill in 2025 by D. Hawkins (as E. arctica) - SRPG Newsletter 2025, p. 56.)

  • Euphrasia arctica ssp. borealis x E. nemorosa (Arctic x Common Eyebright) - [Brist. Fl. as E. nemorosa x borealis] Grassland

  • Euphrasia tetraquetra (Bréb.) Arrond. (Western Eyebright) Grassland

  • Euphrasia nemorosa (Pers.) Wallr. (Common Eyebright) / Grassland

  • Euphrasia nemorosa x E. confusa (Common x Confused Eyebright) - BSBI records Grassland

  • Euphrasia pseudokerneri Pugsley (Chalk Eyebright) - 2 records according to NBN [see file:///C:/Users/Dylan/Downloads/Euphrasia-pseudokerneri-2020-03-19.pdf] Grassland

  • Euphrasia confusa Pugsley (Confused Eyebright - Stace, Little Kneeling Eyebright - NBN) Grassland

ODONTITES Ludw.

  • Odontites vernus (Bellardi) (Red Bartsia) / Grassland Frequent

  • ssp. vernus Grassland Very Rare The nominate but rarer subspecies with us. Found on lighter usually more acidic soils in arable fields and disturbed settings. It differs in its earlier flowering and less branched habit.

  • ssp. serotinus (Syme) Corb. Grassland Frequent The frequent plant of grassland and open woodland tracks; predominantly on heavy clay soils. Flowering from July onwards. More branched and the branches held at a wider angle from the stem.

BELLARDIA All.

  • Bellardia trixago (L.) All. (Mediterranean Lineseed) - [Sandwith, 1932 as Bartsia trixago, Glos. Fl.] General Extinct A native of the Mediterranean and North Africa; recorded at St Philip's Marsh in 1916 by M. Cobbe.

RHINANTHUS L.

  • Rhinanthus minor L. (Yellow-rattle) / Grassland Locally frequent in hay meadows and species-rich pastures. Also commonly used in 'wildflower' seed mixes and promoted for it's ability to weaken grasses and allow other more delicate species to thrive.

  • ssp. minor Grassland Uncommon The nominate subspecies with the same range and distribution as the species.

  • ssp. stenophyllus O. Schwarz / Grassland Rare Differs from ssp. minor in it's taller, more branched and upright growing habit and its later flowering - coming into peak in around late June and July when the latter has died down. Recorded recently from Uphill in 2023 by D. Peters and R.D. Randall, growing amongst ssp. minor. Due to their later flowering period the two can grow side by side without interference from one another.

PEDICULARIS L.

  • Pedicularis palustris L. (Marsh Lousewort) 1912 Wetland

  • Pedicularis sylvatica L. ssp. sylvatica (Lousewort) - Grassland

LATHRAEA L.

  • Lathraea squamaria L. (Toothwort) / Woodland Scarce

  • Lathraea clandestina L. (Purple Toothwort) - Woodland Very Rare A naturalised introduction of woodland besides water courses. Long known from Sea Mills. Also recorded besides the Hazel Brook and Blaise Castle Estate and recently at Bath.

OROBANCHE L.

  • Orobanche rapum-genistae Thuill. (Greater Broomrape) - General Very Rare

  • Orobanche elatior Sutton (Knapweed Broomrape) - Grassland Very Rare Very rare considering its host plant is so abundant. Found recently near Bath by S. Harding.

Simon Harding record of Knapweed Broomrape near Bath

  • Orobanche crenata (Bean Broomrape) recorded in the past at St Philip's Marsh in 1905 as O. speciosa - Brist. Fl. General

  • Orobanche ramosa (Hemp Broomrape) recorded in the past at St Philip's Marsh in 1905, 1907 and 1909 - Brist. Fl. and 1915 Glos. Fl. General

  • Orobanche hederae Duby (Ivy Broomrape) / General Uncommon Has become increasingly frequent in recent years perhaps as a result of climate change. Traditionally confined to more coastal parts but can now be seen across the region and is particularly frequent around Bristol where nearly every patch of Ivy results in the finding of this species. Traditionally believed to only host Helix hibernica but it just as frequently utilises H. helix and even other species of Ivy. Peculiarly, plants hosting on cultivated Eryngium have also been found in a landscaped area at Bristol by F.J. Rumsey.

  • f. minor The typical form though extremely variable both in size and colour, probably largely dependent on the vigor and type of the host. The typical plant is purplish and relatively slender in appearance but robust plants also occur and yellowish forms grow around the Avon Gorge.

  • f. monochroa (Ivy Broomrape) - Tyntesfield, 2025, Paul Harrington see Facebook along with other records in the vicinity A yellow form. Possibly a naturalised introduction. Found at Tyntesfield.

  • Orobanche minor Sm. (Common Broomrape) / Grassland Uncommon Found in species-rich grassland, particularly in hay meadows where it hosts predominantly on Red Clover.

  • ssp. minor var. minor Grassland Uncommon The nominate form with the same range and distribution as the species.

  • ssp. minor var. heliophila Thorogood & Rumsey (Brachyglottis Broomrape) General Very Rare Recorded on Senecio greyii cv Sunshine in a "flower bed of 'The Laurels' nursing home on Brockway, Nailsea in 2007 by T. Smith. At the time this variety was not described but it is clear from the description that the record belongs to this.

[Terry Smith's record is in Nature in Avon 2007 'Some botanical curiosities in Nailsea'.]

List:

  • Melampyrum pratense L. (ssp. pratense? - Stace) (Common Cow-wheat) - Woodland
  • Melampyrum pratense L. ssp. latifolium Schübl. & G. Martens (Common Cow-wheat) - [Yatton, 1892, Mrs. Gregory - Brist. Fl.] - not accepted by Stace but is by Kew.
  • Melampyrum pratense L. ssp. commutatum (Tausch ex A. Kern.) C.E. Britton. var. commutatum (Common Cow-wheat)
  • Euphrasia officinalis L. ssp. pratensis (Fr.) Schübl. & G. Martens (Stace) Euphrasia rostkoviana Hayne (Rostkov's Eyebright - Stace, Large-flowered Sticky Eyebright - NBN) Grassland
  • Euphrasia officinalis L. ssp. anglica (Pugsley) Silverside (English Eyebright - Stace, English Sticky Eyebright - NBN) /- Grassland
  • Euphrasia arctica Lange ex Rostrup ssp. borealis (F. Towns.) Yeo (Arctic Eyebright) - [Brist. Fl. as E. brevipila] (also recorded at Hutton Hill in 2025 by D. Hawkins (as E. arctica) - SRPG Newsletter 2025, p. 56.) Grassland
  • Euphrasia arctica ssp. borealis x E. nemorosa (Arctic x Common Eyebright) - [Brist. Fl. as E. nemorosa x borealis] Grassland
  • Euphrasia tetraquetra (Bréb.) Arrond. (Western Eyebright) Grassland
  • Euphrasia nemorosa (Pers.) Wallr. (Common Eyebright) / Grassland
  • Euphrasia nemorosa x E. confusa (Common x Confused Eyebright) - BSBI records Grassland
  • Euphrasia pseudokerneri Pugsley (Chalk Eyebright) - 2 records according to NBN [see file:///C:/Users/Dylan/Downloads/Euphrasia-pseudokerneri-2020-03-19.pdf] Grassland
  • Euphrasia confusa Pugsley (Confused Eyebright - Stace, Little Kneeling Eyebright - NBN) Grassland
  • Odontites vernus (Bellardi) (ssp. serotinus (Syme) Corb. and ssp. vernus) (Red Bartsia) / Grassland
  • Bellardia trixago (L.) All. (Mediterranean Lineseed - GBIF) - [Sandwith, 1932 as Bartsia trixago, Glos. Fl.]
  • Rhinanthus minor L. (ssp. minor) (Yellow-rattle) / Grassland
  • Rhinanthus minor L. ssp. stenophyllus O. Schwarz (Yellow-rattle) / Grassland
  • Pedicularis palustris L. (Marsh Lousewort) 1912 Wetland
  • Pedicularis sylvatica L. ssp. sylvatica (Lousewort) - Grassland
  • Lathraea squamaria L. (Toothwort) / Woodland
  • Lathraea clandestina L. (Purple Toothwort) - Woodland
  • Orobanche rapum-genistae Thuill. (Greater Broomrape) - General
  • Orobanche elatior Sutton (Knapweed Broomrape) - Grassland
  • Orobanche crenata (Bean Broomrape) recorded in the past at St Philip's Marsh in 1905 as O. speciosa - Brist. Fl. General
  • Orobanche ramosa (Hemp Broomrape) recorded in the past at St Philip's Marsh in 1905, 1907 and 1909 - Brist. Fl. and 1915 Glos. Fl. General
  • Orobanche hederae Duby (Ivy Broomrape) / General
  • Orobanche hederae f. monochroa (Ivy Broomrape) - Tyntesfield, 2025, Paul Harrington see Facebook along with other records in the vicinity
  • Orobanche minor Sm. (ssp. minor var. minor - Stace) (Common Broomrape) / Grassland
  • Orobanche minor ssp. minor var. heliophila Thorogood & Rumsey (Brachyglottis Broomrape) - on Senecio greyii cv Sunshine - "flower bed of 'The Laurels' nursing home on Brockway - Terry Smith, 2007 - Some botanical curiosities in Nailsea - BNS Nature in Avon.

Species to add:

  • Melampyrum pratense L. ssp. latifolium Schübl. & G. Martens (Common Cow-wheat) - [Yatton, 1892, Mrs. Gregory - Brist. Fl.] - not accepted by Stace but is by Kew. /
  • Melampyrum pratense L. ssp. commutatum (Tausch ex A. Kern.) C.E. Britton. var. commutatum (Common Cow-wheat) /
  • Euphrasia officinalis L. ssp. anglica (Pugsley) Silverside (English Eyebright - Stace, English Sticky Eyebright - NBN) /- /
  • Euphrasia arctica Lange ex Rostrup ssp. borealis (F. Towns.) Yeo (Arctic Eyebright) - [Brist. Fl. as E. brevipila] (also recorded at Hutton Hill in 2025 by D. Hawkins (as E. arctica) - SRPG Newsletter 2025, p. 56.) /
  • Euphrasia nemorosa x E. confusa (Common x Confused Eyebright) - BSBI records /
  • Euphrasia pseudokerneri Pugsley (Chalk Eyebright) - 2 records according to NBN [see file:///C:/Users/Dylan/Downloads/Euphrasia-pseudokerneri-2020-03-19.pdf] /
  • Euphrasia arctica ssp. borealis x E. nemorosa (Arctic x Common Eyebright) - [Brist. Fl. as E. nemorosa x borealis] /
  • Bellardia trixago (L.) All. (Mediterranean Lineseed - GBIF) - [Sandwith, 1932 as Bartsia trixago, Glos. Fl.] /
  • Rhinanthus minor L. ssp. stenophyllus O. Schwarz (Yellow-rattle) /
  • Orobanche crenata (Bean Broomrape) recorded in the past at St Philip's Marsh in 1905 as O. speciosa - Brist. Fl. /
  • Orobanche ramosa (Hemp Broomrape) recorded in the past at St Philip's Marsh in 1905, 1907 and 1909 - Brist. Fl. and 1915 Glos. Fl. /
  • Orobanche hederae f. monochroa (Ivy Broomrape) - Tyntesfield, 2025, Paul Harrington see Facebook along with other records in the vicinity /
  • Orobanche minor ssp. minor var. heliophila Thorogood & Rumsey (Brachyglottis Broomrape) - on Senecio greyii cv Sunshine - "flower bed of 'The Laurels' nursing home on Brockway - Terry Smith, 2007 - Some botanical curiosities in Nailsea - BNS Nature in Avon. /

Species which need checking

E. stricta = possiply E. pseudokernii E. curta E. curta var. glabrescens

Could occur:

  • Melampyrum pratense L. ssp. pratense var. hians Druce (Common Cow-wheat)
  • Euphrasia officinalis L. [ssp. pratensis (Fr.) Schübl. & G. Martens] x E. nemorosa = E. x glanduligera Wettst. (Rostkov's x Common Eyebright)
  • Euphrasia officinalis L. [ssp. pratensis (Fr.) Schübl. & G. Martens] x E. pseudokerneri Pugsley (Rostkov's x Chalk Eyebright)
  • Rhinanthus minor L. ssp. calcareus (Wilmott) E.F. Warb. (Yellow-rattle)