Clustered Broomrape, Orobanche fasciculata

I very rarely see this unusual wildflower, so it's always a treat when we do come across it. This macro photo was taken on 27th June, when a few of us went down to south eastern Alberta for the day to botanize the Purple Spring Sand Dunes area, near Taber. This native plant grows on prairie grasslands and is in bloom June-August. It is parasitic on the roots of other plants, primarily those of Artemisia frigida (Pasture Sagewort).

"The stems are 2-10 cm tall, pinkish or brownish ... the leaves are alternate, scale-like and less than 1 cm long. Flower clusters are solitary or in 3-10-flowered racemes. Flowers are purplish, tube-shaped, irregula, 2-lipped, 2-3 cm long. Sepals 4-5, petals 5, stamens 4, pistils 1." From "Plants of Alberta" by Royer and Dickinson.

"As they have no chlorophyll, they are totally dependent on other plants for nutrients. Broomrape seeds remain dormant in the soil, often for many years, until stimulated to germinate by certain compounds produced by living plant roots. Broomrape seedlings put out a root-like growth, which attaches to the roots of nearby hosts. Once attached to a host, the broomrape robs its host of water and nutrients." From Wikipedia.