Orobanche amethystea Thuill.

Reported parasitic on Eryngium sp. elsewhere. This species seems confined to Chitral in our area. H. Schiman-Czeika (in Rech.f.,l.c.) cites Stainton 2584 under this species only, while R.R. Stewart (l.c.) has cited parts of this gathering under 3 species, Orobanche crenua Loefl., Orobanche amethystea Thuill. and Orobanche connata C. Koch. I have not seen the Stainton gathering but Orobanche connata C. Koch (in Linnaea 23:669.1849; Boiss., l.c. 504) is an Armenian species, with violaceous or purplish flowers, calyx not completely 2-segmented, and closely resembling. Orobanche amethystea. Orobanche cernua has smaller flowers and smaller calyx and has a very wide distribution. However, occurrence of Orobanche connata C. Koch in our area, needs confirmation.

Biennial or perennial, 15-30 cm tall, glabrescent or minutely pubescent; scales oblong-lanceolate, usually c. ten times longer than broad, acute, distant. Spikes 10-15 cm long. Bracts c. as long as the corolla-tube; bracteoles absent. Calyx segments c. as long as the bracts, deeply 2-fid to below the middle, teeth linear, yellowish or paler than the bracts. Corolla (15-) 18-23 (-25) mm long, yellowish or brownish, erect to slightly curved, constricted below the middle at the insertion point of stamens, inflated below; lobes unequal, acute, denticulate. Stamen filaments glabrous or sparsely pilose below; anthers obscurely pilose. Stigma bilobed, brownish.

Distribution: C. and S. Europe, Algeria, Turkey, Iran and Pakistan.