Accessions from different Helianthus species, cultivated sunflower forms and interspecific hybrid forms and lines were included in this investigation. It was established that broomrape resistance was transferred from 11 perennial Helianthus species to interspecific hybrids developed on the basis of new sun flower lines. Some of the new lines possessed other desirable agronomical characters, which could be successfully transferred to new sunflower hybrid cultivars. Differences were observed in the origin of broomrapes found in dif ferent locations of northern Bulgaria. Diverse origin of some of the obtained sunflower forms was confirmed using the RAPD analysis.