Botanical Study of Orobanche minor Smith (Orobanchaceae)

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Egypt- General Administration of Medical Affairs, Benha University, Egypt

Abstract

Orobanche minor Smith is an obligate root parasite weed subsisting on Trifollium species. Many of Orobanche plants are well known to have different pharmacological actions such as anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and hepatoprotective activities. Therefore, this work aimed to study the main morphological and anatomical characteristics of the leaf, stem, flower, fruit, bulb and haustorium of Orobanche minor contributing to provide more information about characterization and identification of this species growing in the Egyptian Clover fields, as this plant is considered to be one of the parasitic weeds used in folk medicine while it is still under biological and chemical studies. The main morphological features are the succulent hairy stem with sessile leaves and the fleshy underground bulb bearing haustoria. The plant is characterized microscopically by the epidermal cells with beaded anticlinal walls, anomocytic stomata and glandular hairs, starch granules with centric clefted hilum and ovoid dust-like microscopical seeds with lignified reticulated seed coat.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics