Orobanche cernua

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Europe – Mediterranean to E. Asia
Rocky slopes, especially in Lahul, 1500 – 3300 metres from Pakistan to C. Nepal in the Himalayas[51].
Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade;
Root – cooked. It is roasted then eaten[177, 183].
(From PFAF)
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photo of Tobacco plant parasite : Attachments (2). 4 posts by 3 authors.

please find attached photo of a root parasite of commercial crop Tobacco-
Species: Orobanche cernua Loefl. var. desertorum
Family:  Orobanchaceae
Place: KaLLahaLLI, Hunsur Taluk, Mysore District, Karnataka
Photos: KR KIshendas

Very nice photographs …, and good find.

In the Tobacco field, i came across this Root parasite commonly named as Bambaku.
{Orobanche cernua (Family: Orobanchaceae) is a root parasite mainly seen on Tobacco crops. It is also reported on other Solanaceae crops. This Bambaku infects the roots of the crops and causes severe damage.)
Location: near Kolhapur, Maharashtra
Identified by …
Orobanche cernua is a small annual, leafless erect herb growing upto 20 to 30cm.
Flowers are seen in dense terminal spikes.)
Enclosing the photograph of  the Tobacco field were i had spotted this herb and also the photographs of Orobanche cernua.
in this case its welcome because of the health hazards that the parent plat/host plant leads to or is led to by humans…
regardless, since these evolved many millions of years ago, there was perhaps a grand design, for these so called parasites to have a useful ecological role to play
I am glad you found them and photographed them
learnt something new today
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For ID, Pushkar, Rajasthan NAW-MAR22-02: 2 images.
Kindly identify, about 15-30 cm in height, locally called siayi ki mehendi because it stains black on being crushed.

Orobanche cernua

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