Toothwort

Lathraea squamaria

Toothwort is the popular name for a small British plant of curious form and growth, known botanically as Lathraea squamaria, family Scrophulariaceae. It grows parasitically on roots, chiefly of hazel (or holly), in shady places such as hedge sides.

It 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.

The only portions that appear above ground are the short flower-bearing shoots, which bear a spike of two-lipped dull purple flowers. The scales which represent the leaves also secrete water, which escapes and softens the ground around the plant. Lathraea is closely allied to another British parasitic plant, broomrape (Orobanche).