Broomrape
/ˈbruːm.reɪp/noun
A parasitic plant of the genus Orobanche, lacking chlorophyll and feeding on the roots of other plants.
Did you know?The “rape” in broomrape comes from an old word for a plant that steals or seizes another plant’s resources, not the modern sexual sense.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
brōm
“broom, a shrubby plant used for sweeping”
Middle English
ME
brom rappe
“a plant thought to cling to or seize broom”
Late Middle English
ME
brome-rape
“a parasitic plant associated with broom”
Modern English
English
broomrape
“a parasitic flowering plant, especially of the genus Orobanche”