GeoGraph - photograph every grid square

Bedstraw Broomrape (Orobanche caryophyllacea)

Broomrapes are wholly parasitic plants - because they have no need to photosynthesise in order to meet their nutrient requirements, they have no chlorophyll. As a result, they are virtually leafless (the leaves have been reduce to a few scales down the stem) and lack any green pigment. Some are host specific, generally indicated by their English name; others are more generalists.

This is one of the most localised broomrapes in the UK, found only on East Kent coast, as here on the Royal St Georges golf course. As its name suggests, it is parasitic on members of the Bedstraw family - a section of an unidentified member of that family can be seen between the plants. It flowers slightly earlier than the other broomrapes, and these particular example have largely "gone over", with only the one on the right showing the creamy flower colour.