26O NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



one-flowered stalks, 3 to 8 inches high. Calyx bell-shaped, pubescent and 

 glandular, about one-third of an inch long, less than half the length of the 

 corolla, with five lanceolate, long-pointed lobes. Corolla white or violet, 

 puberulent without, two-thirds to i inch long, oblique, the curved tube 

 about three times the length of the slightly two-lipped limb, which has 

 five short, oval or obovate, blunt lobes. Fruit a small, ovoid capsule. 

 Stamens four, not projecting out of the flower. 



In woods and thickets, parasitic upon roots of various herbs, Newfound- 

 land to Ontario and south to South Carolina and Texas. Flowering from 

 May to July. 



This and the two following species are the common members in New 

 York State of the Broom Rape family (Orobanchaceae) , which consists 

 of a number of parasitic flowering herbs with brown, yellowish, purplish 

 or nearly white stems, and leaves reduced to alternate appressed scales. 

 Because of their parasitic habit they do not require green leaves for the 

 purpose of manufacturing food and hence are devoid of any green coloring 

 matter or real leaves. 



Squawroot; Cancer-root 



Conopholis americana (Carl von Linne) Wallroth 



Figure XXXI 



Plants smooth, 3 to 10 inches high, from a thickened base, densely 

 scaly, light brown, usually clustered, covered all over with stiff, overlapping 

 scales. Upper scales lanceolate or ovate, pointed, one-half to i inch long, 

 lowest scales much smaller. Flowers yellowish, each with two small bracts 

 beneath the calyx, together forming a thick, dense spike, one-half to i inch 

 thick; each flower about one-half of an inch long. Calyx oblique, deeply 

 split on the lower side, three to four-toothed on the upper side. Corolla 

 pale yellow, strongly two-lipped, the tube slightly curved, the upper lip 

 concave, nearly erect and notched, the lower lip spreading, three-lobed and 

 shorter than the upper lip. Stamens projecting from the flower. Fruit an 

 ovoid-globose capsule nearly one-half of an inch long. 



In rich woods at the base of trees and parasitic upon their roots, Maine 

 to Ontario and Michigan, south to Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. 

 Flowering from May to August. 



