The Morton Arboretum's Naturalist Certificate Program
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Local Flora I: Spring Woodlands | Grasslands | | Glossary: Plant Parts | Flowers | Leaves Monocots | Liliaceae | Other Monocot spp. | | Dicots | Ranunculaceae | Other Dicot spp.
Rosaceae: Orobanche uniflora - one-flowered broomrape
	It is now thought that most, if not all, achlorophyllous terrestrial wildflowers derive their nutrition from ectomycorrhizal fungi. These fungi form a partnership with tree roots providing increased uptake of water and nutrients to the tree. The tree provides sugars to the fungus. Indian pipe and other "parasitic" plants lacking chlorophyll have figured out how to tap into the fungi as a food source. This is a three member system that is often very specific. In some cases a particular plant species is associated with a single species of fungus. Current molecular studies are underway to determine "who lives with who" in these associations.
Rosaceae featured species: Orobanche uniflora - one-flowered broomrape

Edna Davion Department of Botany, The Field Museum Chicago, IL 60605-2496 E-mail: edavion@fieldmuseum.org

Photographs by Jane and John Balaban Skokie, Illinois North Branch Restoration Project Text on this page by Patrick Leacock