BROOM=RAPE FAMILY. Otobanchaceas. 



BROOM-RAPE FAMILY. Orobanchacew. 



Beech-drops or 

 Cancer Root 

 Epiphegus 

 Viryiniana 

 Dull magenta 

 buff=brown 

 August- 

 October 



Fleshy parasitic herbs having yellowish scales instead 

 of leaves ; the flowers perfect, or pistillate and staminate 

 on the same plant. Stamens four. The tiny seeds borne 

 in a capsule. Visited by various flies and bees. 



A parasitic plant which draws its suste- 

 nance from the roots of the beech tree. 

 The stem is tough, straight, almost up- 

 right-branched, stained with brown mad- 

 der, and set with & few small, dry scales. 

 The curved tubular, dull magenta and 

 buff-brown upper flowers are purple- 

 striped ; although generally sterile they 

 are complete in every part, the style slightly protruding 

 beyond, and the stamens just within the throat. The 

 tiny lower flowers are cleistogamous — closed to outward 

 agencies and self -fertilized. A few of the upper flowers 

 are cross-fertilized by bees. 6-20 inches high. Beech 

 woods, Me., south and west to Wis. and Mo. The name 

 means on the beech. 



A pale parasitic plant, the stem hidden 

 by the overlapping, light tan-colored, 

 lance-shaped or ovate pointed scales ; the 

 flowers perfect, set in a many-scaled dense 

 spike, the upper lip hooded, the lower 

 small and three-lobed, the stamens pro- 

 truding ; the lips are pale ochre yellow fading toward 

 the corolla. 3-8 inches high. In rich woods over tree 

 roots, Me., south, and west to Mich. 



A beautiful little parasitic plant bearing 

 a few brownish ovate bracts near the 

 root, and sending up 1-4 erect, slender, 

 one-flowered stalks ; the curved tubular, 

 five-lobed flower is purplish or light violet, 

 or rarely cream white, f inch long, ex- 

 ternally fine-hairy, and delicately fragrant. 

 Cross-fertilized mostly by the smaller bees 

 (Halictus) and the bumblebees. 3-6 inches high. In 

 moist woods, Me., south to Va. 



Squawroot 



Conopholis 



Americana 



Pale dull 



yellow 



May-July 



Naked Broom 

 rape or One- 

 flowered 

 Cancer Root 



Orobanche 

 uniflora 

 Purplish 

 April-June 



436 



