Elevated atmospheric CO 2 influences the interaction between the parasitic angiosperm Orobanche minor and its host Trifolium repens

The influence of the root holoparasitic angiosperm Orobanche minor Sm. on the biomass, photosynthesis, carbohydrate and nitrogen content of Trifolium repens L. was determined for plants grown at two CO 2 concentrations (350 and 550 μmol mol −1 ). Infected plants accumulated less biomass than their uninfected counterparts, although early in the association there was a transient stimulation of growth. Infection also influenced biomass allocation both between tissues (infected plants had lower root∶shoot ratios) and within tissues∶infected roots were considerably thicker before the point of parasite attachment and thinner below. Higher concentrations of starch were also found in roots above the point of attachment, particularly for plants grown in elevated CO 2 . Elevated CO 2 stimulated the growth of T. repens only during the early stages of development. There was a significant interaction between infection and CO 2 on growth, with infected plants showing a greater response, such that elevated CO 2 partly alleviated the effects of the parasite on host growth. Elevated CO 2 did not affect total O. minor biomass per host, the number of individual parasites supported by each host, or their time of attachment to the host root system. Photosynthesis was stimulated by elevated CO 2 but was unaffected by O. minor . There was no evidence of down‐regulation of photosynthesis in T. repens grown at elevated CO 2 in either infected or uninfected plants. The data are discussed with regard to the influence of elevated CO 2 on other parasitic angiosperm‐host associations and factors which control plant responses to elevated CO 2 .