Orobanche crenata, Scalloped Broomrape,
Hebrew: עלקת חרוקה, Arabic: جعفيل مفرّض, Egypt: هالوك ميتابي "Halouk Metabi", "Diker El Foul"

Scientific name:  Orobanche crenata Forssk.
Common name:  Scalloped Broomrape
Hebrew name:   עלקת חרוקה
Arabic name:  جعفيل مفرّض
Egypt:  هالوك ميتابي "Halouk Metabi", "Diker El Foul"
Family:  Orobanchaceae, עלקתיים

I fiori di campo d'Israele

Life form:  Parasite
Leaves:  Alternate, scale
Flowers:  Pink, white, yellow
Flowering Period:  February, March, April, May
Habitat:   Cultivated areas
Distribution:  Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands
Chorotype:   Med - Irano-Turanian
Summer shedding:  Ephemeral

Orobanche crenata, Scalloped Broomrape, עלקת חרוקה


Derivation of the botanical name:
Orobanche, Greek orobos, a kind of vetch; anchone, choke, strangle; this was the Greek name of a plant that was parasitic on vetch.
crenata, Latin crena, notch; atus, ata, adjectival suffix for nouns:likeness of something; notched.
broomrape, broom +‎ rape, part translation of species name Orobanche rapum-genistae, where Latin rapum actually means turnip, not rape. Broomrape, any of various plants, of the genus Orobanche, that are parasitic on the roots of other plants.
The Hebrew name: Alkat, עלקת, is derived from the name of the parasitic animal leech, עלוקה, aluka.
  • The standard author abbreviation Forssk. is used to indicate Peter Forsskål (1732 – 1763), a Swedish explorer, orientalist and naturalist.

Orobanche crenata, Scalloped Broomrape, עלקת חרוקה
Location: Bene Zion Nature Reserve


Orobanche crenata, Scalloped Broomrape, עלקת חרוקה