Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Lathraea squamaria

Family

Orobanchaceae

Flowering season

April and May

English distribution

It is scattered throughout the country but absent from

large parts of the East and the far Southwest.

For a map see the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland

– Toothwort

Habitat

It grows in woodland and hedges, and by streams and

rivers.

Description

Toothwort is a native perennial herb which is parasitic

on the roots of woody plants, especially Hazel and Elm.

The white flowering shoots are erect, unbranched and

up to 30cm.

The flowers are on a one-sided spike and develop in the

axils of large oval scales (replacement for leaves).

Individual flowers are bell-shaped, up to 2cm and

mainly white.The corolla is 2-lipped and white, pink or

dull purple. The upper lip is concave and entire and

the lower lip has 3 lobes.

The corolla protrudes from the calyx, which is tubular

and has 4 slightly pink fading to white, large, glandular

sepal-like lobes.

There are 5 stamens with broad pink filaments and

white anthers.The stigma is capitate, weakly bi-lobed

and creamy yellow. The style is pink and lengthens

so that the stigma protrudes from the corolla.

The fruit is an oval white capsule up to 1cm.

Toothwort is an obligate parasite and has no leaves.

These are replaced by scales.

On drying Toothwort turns black.

Purple Toothwort, a related naturalised garden escape,

is shown in March.