Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 319 



BROOM-RAPE FAMILY (Orobanchaceae). 



The members of this family are typical parasites, 

 destitute of green foliage and practically colorless. 



BEECH DROPS; CANCER-ROOT (Epifagus vir- 

 giniana). This peculiar growth is found almost ex- 

 clusively in beech woods. At first glance it might 

 readily be taken for a little group of twigs projecting 

 above the ground. The stalk is tough, brownish, 

 erect and has several erect branches at the top. Along 

 the lower part of the stem are a few scale-like bracts 

 that represent the best the plant can do in the way of 

 leaves. 



The stems attains heights of 6 to 20 inches. At the 

 ends of the branches are a number of curved, tubular 

 flowers; these are stained a dull magenta. While 

 they are perfect in all their parts, they are usually in- 

 fertile. Just below the tubular blossoms are a num- 

 ber of tiny ones resembling buds. These are cleis- 

 togamous flowers that never open, but are fertilized 

 without external agency. 



Beech Drops attaches its roots to those of beech 

 trees and gets all its sustenance from them. It blooms 

 from August to Oct. and ranges from N. B. to Minn, 

 and southwards 



ONE-FLOWERED CANCER-ROOT; BROOM-RAPE 

 (Orobanche uniflora) is an attractive little parasite 

 with a subterannean scaly stem, that sometimes 

 branches underground, each branch sending up one 

 to four very slender stalks from 3 to 6 inches high 

 and bearing at the top a single blossom each. 



These terminal flowers are tubular and have five 

 rounded lobes. Their color varies from a pale pur- 

 ple to a cream color and they average about three- 

 quarters of an inch in length. They are chiefly fer- 

 tilized by small flies, attracted by the slight fragrance 

 they emit. It is found in moist woods throughout the 

 United States and southern Canada. 



