Orobanchaceae

Hellroot

Orobanche minor Sm.

Family: Orobanchaceae
Genus: Orobanche

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Hellroot (Orobanche minor) — FlowerPhoto: Brian Finzel, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (20)

Arabic: هالوك صغير
arz: هالوك صغير
Czech: Záraza menší
Dutch: Klavervreter
English: Hellroot, Clover broomrape, Common broomrape, Lesser broomrape, Small broorape, Small broomrape
Esperanto: Eta orobanko
Finnish: Apilannäive
French: Petite Orobanche
German: Kleine Sommerwurz, Kleewürger
hsb: Mała hubinka
Irish: Múchóg bheag
Japanese: ヤセウツボ
Polish: Zaraza drobnokwiatowa
Portuguese: Erva-toira-menor, Erva-toira-pequena, Orobanca
Serbian: Мала водњача
Slovak: Záraza menšia
Slovenian: Mali pojalnik
Swedish: Klöversnyltrot
Ukrainian: Вовчок малий
Welsh: Gorfanhadlen gorfanadl

Synonyms

Orobanche abyssinica A.Rich.
Orobanche ambigua Pomel
Orobanche angelicifixa Péteaux & St.-Lag.
Orobanche apiculata Wallr.
Orobanche arvensis Dumort.
Orobanche arvensis var. rubiginosa Dumort.
Orobanche barbata Poir.
Orobanche barbata var. crithmi-maritimi (F.W.Schultz) Fiori
Orobanche barbata var. violacea Maire
Orobanche boissieri Rchb.f.
Orobanche bovei Reut.
Orobanche columbariae Gren.
Orobanche columbiana H.St.John & English
Orobanche concolor Duby
Orobanche crithmi Bertol.
Orobanche crithmi-maritimi F.W.Schultz
Orobanche densiflora Moris
Orobanche glabra Gaudin ex Rchb.f.
Orobanche hians Reut. ex Boiss.
Orobanche hyalina Spruner ex Reut.
Orobanche hydrocotylei Colenso
Orobanche langei Huter, Porta & Rigo
Orobanche leonuri Rota
Orobanche leucantha Griseb.
Orobanche leucanthemi H.J.Coste & Soulié
Orobanche livida Sendtn. ex Rchb.f.
Orobanche major f. hypochoeridis Beck
Orobanche maritima Pugsley
Orobanche minor f. albens Beck
Orobanche minor f. lutea (Tourlet) Thorogood & Rumsey
Orobanche minor subsp. bovei (Reut.) J.A.Guim.
Orobanche minor subsp. crithmi (Gren.) Bonnier & Layens
Orobanche minor subsp. grenieri Nyman
Orobanche minor subsp. maritima (Pugsley) Rumsey
Orobanche minor subsp. salisii (Req. ex Coss.) Rouy
Orobanche minor subsp. unicolor (Boreau) Rouy
Orobanche minor var. ambigua Batt.
Orobanche minor var. barbata (Poir.) Cout.
Orobanche minor var. bovei (Reut.) Batt. & Trab.
Orobanche minor var. compositarum Pugsley

and 29 more.

Flowers

In flower: May, October to December (from 1,437 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Annual
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Brian Finzel, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: David Whyte, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Lisa Bennett, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Arnim Littek, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Chris Ecroyd, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Hugh Chevallier, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Наталья Пикалова, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Keith Edkins, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Sergio Denche, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Ian Capper, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Stephen James McWilliam, CC0, from iNaturalist

More in Orobanche

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.