Day 236: Orobanche uniflora is a trickster. Don't assume that the succulent foliage at its base belongs to the same plant. It does not. In fact, you will find Naked Broomrape in association with at least two different leaf-forms in the Park. This beautiful little plant is parasitic on the roots of a number of different sedums. The leaf rosettes of two of the most common are shown in this photo (S. divergens at the bottom, S. oreganum to the right of the flowers). Because Orobanche lacks chlorophyll and cannot photosynthesize on its own, it takes its nutrients from its host; whether or not it contributes anything to the relationship with sedum is at this point conjectural.
