| Authors | C. J. Thorogood, R. Piwowarczyk, F. Rumsey, G. Domina |
| Language | English |
| ISBN | 9781842468517 |
| Publisher | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |
| Pages | 608 |
| Size | 245 x 170 mm |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Images | Colour images |
| Year published | 2026 |
Broomrapes of the World is a thorough, practical guide to parasitic plants.
Parasitic plants are some of the most bizarre and fascinating organisms in the plant kingdom and have attracted attention for millennia. They have been studied by the ancient Greeks and used throughout history through to the modern day as herbal medicines, ingredients in recipes, ink for writing, and dye for textiles. The Orobanchaceae family, also known as broomrapes, is comprised of small parasitic plants with many diverse species, from the woodland-dwelling toothwort to the hardy desert hyacinth. This group of striking and unusual plants can be found in every biome in the world.
Broomrapes of the World is a thorough guide, focused on species entirely dependent on their host for nutrients, revealing the taxonomically challenging species with clarity and precision for experts and amateurs alike.
Illustrated throughout with 600 color photographs, each species profile includes habit, morphology, ecology, distribution, key diagnostics, and similar species. Introductory chapters cover the life cycle, biology, morphology, reproduction, habitats, ecology, distribution, traditional uses, and conservation of broomrapes around the world.
About the authors
Chris Thorogood is deputy director and head of science of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum. He is a wildlife artist, botanical illustrator, and an international bestselling author of popular titles and specialist field guides, including Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of the Eastern Mediterranean and Weird Plants also published by Kew. Renata Piwowarczyk is professor of botany at Jan Kochanowski University in Poland. Fred Rumsey is the Senior Curator in Charge of the British, European and Historical plant collections at the Natural History Museum, where he has worked since obtaining his BSc in Botany from Reading University, and a PhD from the University of Manchester. The Museum’s British plant specialist, Fred is also currently President of the British Pteridological Society, a former Vice-President of the BSBI, and he serves as referee for several families and genera for the BSBI. An active field botanist and keen gardener, his interests include historical biogeography and conservation, particularly of cryptogamic plants. Gianniantonio Domina is associate professor of environmental and applied botany at the University of Palermo.
