Flora of North America species comparison

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Orobanche californica subsp. grandis
Photo is of parent taxon

California broomrape
Habit Plants simple, rarely branched from base, 8–35 cm, proximal portion to inflorescence (5–)10–20 cm, stout.
Inflorescences

corymbs, sometimes subcapitate to subcorymbose racemes, 3–15 cm;

bracts pallid to pinkish tinged, drying brown.
Pedicels

5–15(–25) mm.
Corollas

pallid to pinkish tinged, drying reddish brown, 35–50 mm;

tube broad, abruptly widening toward throat;

throat 9–10 mm wide;

lips 12–14 mm, abaxial lobes lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate, 5–7 mm wide, apex acute, adaxial lobes ovate, apex obtuse, shallowly notched, erose.
Calyces

12–20(–25) mm, lobes buff or yellow, tinged pink or brownish, linear-subulate, 15–20 mm.

Orobanche californica subsp. grandis
Phenology Flowering Apr–Oct(–Nov).
Habitat Sandy soils or lee of foredunes near coast.
Elevation 0–150 m. (0–500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies grandis is commonly found near the ocean shore from Los Angeles to San Mateo counties and on Santa Rosa Island. It is uncommon, and its habitat is impacted by Carpobrotus (Aizoaceae) invasions. The primary host is Corethrogyne filaginifolia (Asteraceae), but it can also utilize Grindelia (Asteraceae). Other hosts reported are Adenostoma fasciculatum (Rosaceae), Artemisia, Isocoma veneta, and Heterotheca (Asteraceae).

Plants included in subsp. grandis have been identified variously in the past. The northern coastal specimens were aligned with subsp. californica, whereas the southern collections were identified as subspp. feudgei or jepsonii. Subspecies grandis is roughly sympatric with other coastal subspecies, but its unique morphology and its preferences for sand dune habitat and Corethrogyne filaginifolia as a host make it distinctive.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 481.
Parent taxa Orobanchaceae > Orobanche > Orobanche californica
Sibling taxa
O. californica subsp. californica, O. californica subsp. condensa, O. californica subsp. feudgei, O. californica subsp. grayana, O. californica subsp. jepsonii
Synonyms Aphyllon californicum subsp. grande
Name authority Heckard: Madroño 22: 60, figs. 1P–R, 3A, 4E. (1973)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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