Lathraea

The genus name Lathraea derives from the ancient greek {{wikt-lang|grc|λαθραῖος}} ({{grc-transl|λαθραῖος}}), meaning "clandestine",{{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}} which is a reference to the fact that it is inconspicuous until it flowers.{{Cite book|title=The Names of Plants|last=David.|first=Gledhill|date=2008-01-01|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521685535|oclc=938986293}}

The phylogeny of the genera of Rhinantheae has been explored using molecular characters. 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, 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 and plastid DNA molecular characters (ITS, rps16 intron and trnK region).{{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}}{{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 }}

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| cladogram={{Cladogram of Rhinantheae genera}}

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File:Illustration Lathraea squamaria0.jpg

• 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.Francis Ernest Lloyd, The Carnivorous Plants, The Chronica Botanica Company, Waltham, Mass., 1942 - {{ISBN|0-486-23321-9}}{{EB1911|inline=1|wstitle=Toothwort |volume=27 |page=47}}
• Purple toothwort (Lathraea clandestina) grows on the roots mainly of alder, 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.Maurice Wilkins, Head Gardener 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.[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 }} Elsewhere, especially in the British Isles, the plant is locally naturalized in parks and old gardens and along river banks.{{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 }}
• Rhodope toothwort (Lathraea rhodopaea) is common in the Rhodope Mountains and Rila mountain range in southeastern Europe.

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.

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [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}}

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Category:Orobanchaceae

Category:Orobanchaceae genera

Category:Parasitic plants