View source for Lathraea

{{short description|Genus of flowering plants in the broomrape family}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|image = Lathraea squamaria.jpg
|image_caption = Common toothwort (''[[Lathraea squamaria]]'')
|taxon = Lathraea
|authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
|subdivision_ranks = Species
|subdivision = ''[[Lathraea clandestina]]''<br/>
''[[Lathraea japonica]]''<br/>
''[[Lathraea purpurea]]''<br/>
''[[Lathraea rhodopea]]''<br/>
''[[Lathraea squamaria]]''
}}

'''''Lathraea''''' ('''toothwort''') is a small genus of five to seven species of [[flowering plant]]s, native to temperate [[Europe]] and [[Asia]]. They are [[parasitic plant]]s on the roots of other plants, and are completely lacking [[chlorophyll]]. They are classified in the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Orobanchaceae]].

[[File:Lathraea clandestina 040603w.jpg|thumb|left|Purple toothwort (''Lathraea clandestina'')]]
[[File:Lathraea rhodopaea.jpg|thumb|left|''Lathraea rhodopea'']]

== Etymology ==
The genus name ''Lathraea'' derives from the [[ancient greek]] {{wikt-lang|grc|λαθραῖος}} ({{grc-transl|λαθραῖος}}), meaning "clandestine",<ref>{{Cite book |title=Abrégé du dictionnaire grec français |last=Bailly |first=Anatole |date=1981-01-01 |publisher=Hachette |isbn=978-2010035289 |oclc=461974285 |location=Paris}}</ref> which is a reference to the fact that it is inconspicuous until it flowers.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Names of Plants|last=David.|first=Gledhill|date=2008-01-01|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521685535|oclc=938986293}}</ref>

== Phylogeny ==
The phylogeny of the genera of [[Rhinantheae]] has been explored using molecular characters.<ref name="Tesitel2010"/><ref name="Scheunert2012"/> ''Lathraea'' is the sister genus to ''[[Rhinanthus]]'', and then to ''[[Rhynchocorys]]''. These three genera share phylogenetic affinities with members of the core Rhinantheae: ''[[Bartsia]]'', ''[[Euphrasia]]'', ''[[Tozzia]]'', ''[[Hedbergia]]'', ''[[Bellardia trixago|Bellardia]]'', and ''[[Odontites]]''. ''[[Melampyrum]]'' appears as a more distant relative.

{{cladogram
   | title= {{anchor|Clad}}Genus-level cladogram of tribe Rhinantheae.
   | caption=The cladogram has been reconstructed from [[nuclear DNA|nuclear]] and [[chloroplast DNA|plastid DNA]] molecular characters ([[Internal transcribed spacer|ITS]], ''rps16'' intron and ''trnK'' region).<ref name="Tesitel2010">{{Cite journal |last1=Těšitel |first1=Jakub |last2=Říha |first2=Pavel |last3=Svobodová |first3=Šárka |last4=Malinová |first4=Tamara |last5=Štech |first5=Milan |date=2010-10-28 |title=Phylogeny, Life History Evolution and Biogeography of the Rhinanthoid Orobanchaceae |journal=Folia Geobotanica |language=en |volume=45 |issue=4 |pages=347–367 |doi=10.1007/s12224-010-9089-y |bibcode=2010FolGe..45..347T |issn=1211-9520}}</ref><ref name="Scheunert2012">{{Cite journal |last1=Scheunert |first1=Agnes |last2=Fleischmann |first2=Andreas |last3=Olano-Marín |first3=Catalina |last4=Bräuchler |first4=Christian |last5=Heubl |first5=Günther |date=2012-12-14 |title=Phylogeny of tribe Rhinantheae (Orobanchaceae) with a focus on biogeography, cytology and re-examination of generic concepts |journal=Taxon |volume=61 |issue=6 |pages=1269–1285|doi=10.1002/tax.616008 }}</ref>
   | align=center
   | cladogram={{Cladogram of Rhinantheae genera}}
}}

== Species ==
[[File:Illustration Lathraea squamaria0.jpg|thumb|140px|Common toothwort. Illustration from Thomé, ''Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz'', 1885]]
* '''Common toothwort''' (''[[Lathraea squamaria]]'') is parasitic on the roots of [[hazel]] and [[alder]], occasionally on [[beech]], in shady places such as hedge sides. ''Lathraea squamaria'' is widespread in Europe. The common toothwort is a [[protocarnivorous plant]]. Most of the plant consists of a branched whitish underground stem closely covered with thick fleshy colourless leaves, which are bent over so as to hide the under surface; irregular cavities communicating with the exterior are formed in the thickness of the leaf. On the inner walls of these chambers are stalked hairs, which when stimulated by the touch of an insect send out delicate filaments by means of which the insect is killed and digested.<ref>Francis Ernest Lloyd, ''[[The Carnivorous Plants]]'', The Chronica Botanica Company, Waltham, Mass., 1942 - {{ISBN|0-486-23321-9}}</ref><ref>{{EB1911|inline=1|wstitle=Toothwort |volume=27 |page=47}}</ref>
* '''Purple toothwort''' (''[[Lathraea clandestina]]'') grows on the roots mainly of alder, [[Populus|poplar]] and [[willow]]. At Arduaine Garden in Argyll in the absence of the three well-known hosts it grows on the roots of a variety of ornamental trees and shrubs; in the same garden cats are frequently seen to roll in the flowers and to eat them.<ref>Maurice Wilkins, Head Gardener</ref> It differs from common toothwort in the dark purple flowers being produced one on each stem. Purple toothwort grows in Middle and South Europe: Western Belgium, Western and Central France and Northern Spain, and locally in Central Italy.<ref>[http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxon.pl?417528 GRIN. Lathraea clandestina] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924161105/http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxon.pl?417528 |date=2015-09-24 }}</ref> Elsewhere, especially in the British Isles, the plant is locally naturalized in parks and old gardens and along river banks.<ref name="BSBIAtlas2020">{{cite web|title=''Lathraea clandestina'' L. |work=BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020 |editor=P.A. Stroh |editor2=T. A. Humphrey |editor3=R.J. Burkmar |editor4=O.L. Pescott |editor5=D.B. Roy |editor6=K.J. Walker |url=https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.c6c |access-date=15 June 2023 }}</ref>
*'''Rhodope toothwort''' (''[[Lathraea rhodopaea]]'') is common in the [[Rhodope Mountains]] and [[Rila]] mountain range in southeastern Europe.

== Cultural references ==
In [[Pavel Ivanovich Melnikov]]'s "In the Forests" a Russian wise woman (''znakharka'') calls this plant{{which|date=March 2016}} Peter's Cross and says it protects against devils but only if collected with a prayer to God.

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== References ==
* [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Lathraea&SPECIES_XREF=&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= Flora Europaea: ''Lathraea'']
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=117714 Flora of China: ''Lathraea'']

{{Carnivorous plants}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q143696}}

[[Category:Orobanchaceae]]
[[Category:Orobanchaceae genera]]
[[Category:Parasitic plants]]