Lacking chlorophyll and parasitic on the roots of bur-sage and other
desert composites, broomrape is so unusual in appearance as to attract
immediate attention. Although fairly common in low-elevation deserts
from west Texas and Mexico to southern California, it is occasionally
found as far north as southern Utah and Nevada and at elevations up to
7,000 feet. The rather inconspicuous flowers appear from February to
September. Navajo Indians made a decoction of the plant as a treatment
for sores. Desert Indians ate the tender stems in springtime.
_Orobanche ludoviciana_ Broomrape Family
[Illustration: LOUISIANA BROOMRAPE]