The role played by molecules of the strigolactone family in stimulating the germination of seeds of parasitic weeds of the genera Striga, Orobanche and Alectra has never been clearly elucidated. The biogenesis of these unusual terpenoid lactones, originally identified in minute quantities in the root exudates of a small number of host plants and two or three "false hosts", also remains obscure. These lactones, as the chemical signals which initiate the life cycle of Striga, are consequently at the forefront of the Striga research effort. This paper reviews recent key discoveries relating to the biosynthesis and mode of action of strigolactones, and summarises the evidence suggesting that these molecules may be far more widely distributed and have a greater physiological significance than has hitherto been appreciated.