Start the week with a Colerne Wildflower No 65. Common Toothwort Lathraea squamaria. Broomrape Family.

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The weekly Wildflower blog re-starts with this rather ghostly looking plant found growing beside the footpath in Monk’s Wood.

The genus name Lathraea, from the Greek for hidden, is apt for a shade loving plant which lurks underground for most of the year. The flower spikes emerge briefly in April and May before the plant retreats from sight. The Monks Wood plants are growing near Hazel, a favoured host tree for this parasitic plant. It lacks chlorophyll so attaches itself to tree roots with suckers to steal the nutrients it needs. The flowers are mainly pollinated by bumblebees and the seeds have an attached oil rich snack to tempt ants to help with seed dispersal. 


The origin of the common name Toothwort is a bit of a mystery. The suffix “wort” usually implied a medicinal use but it is seldom mentioned by medieval herbalists. 


Unlike the native Common Toothwort, the related Purple Toothwort, was introduced to Kew Gardens in 1888 but had escaped by 1908. I am not aware of any growing locally. Purple Toothwort photos and information