Germination of Witchweed ( Striga lutea Lour.): Isolation and Properties of a Potent Stimulant

Abstract
A crystalline germination stimulant (trivial name strigol) for the rootparasite, witchweed (Striga lutea Lour.), has been isolated from cotton rootexudates and characterized as a C19H22O6 compound. Although apparently different from known plant hormones, the stimulant is active at hormonal levels, causing germination at concentrations less than 1O-5 part per million.