About Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze
Scientific name: Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntze
Seedlings of S. asiatica do not appear above ground; only white succulent shoots can be found attached to host roots. Mature plants produce green foliage above ground, which is sparsely covered with coarse, short, white, bulbous-based hairs. Mature plants typically stand 15โ30 centimetres (5.9โ11.8 in) tall, though they have been recorded growing up to 60 centimetres (24 in). Leaves are nearly opposite, narrowly lanceolate, and around 1โ3 centimetres (0.39โ1.18 in) long, and each successive pair of leaves grows perpendicular to the previous pair. Flowers grow in loose spikes and develop during summer and fall. They are small (less than 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) in diameter), sessile, axillary, and have a two-lipped corolla. Flower colour varies by region: African populations bear red, orange, or yellow flowers, while Asian populations have pink, white, yellow, or purple flowers. After flowering, swollen seed pods form, each holding thousands of dustlike seeds. The underground stems are white and rounded, with scale-like leaves, and turn blue when exposed to air. The roots are succulent and rounded, lack root hairs, and grow attached to the root system of a host plant species.
