BROOM-RAPE FAMILY. Otobanchaceas. 



BROOM-RAPE FAMILY. Orobanchacew. 



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- 

 Beech-drops or nance from the roots of t h e beech tree. 



Epifagus The stem is tough, straight, almost up- 



virginiana right-branched, stained with brown mad- 



Dull magenta der, and set with a few small, dry scales. 

 buff=brown The curve d tubular, dull magenta and 

 October 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 

 b ^ the overlapping, light tan-colored, 

 Americana lance-shaped or ovate pointed scales ; the 

 Pale dull flowers perfect, set in a many-scaled dense 



yellow 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 w r est to Mich. 



A beautiful little parasitic plant bearing 

 Naked Broom- a few brownish ovate bracts near the 

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

 Cancer Root one-flowered stalks ; the curved tubular, 

 Orobanche five-lobed flower is purplish or light violet, 

 uniflora or rare iy cream white, f inch long, ex- 



Aprii'-June ternally fine-hairy, and delicately fragrant. 

 Qross-f ertilized mostly by the smaller bees 

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

 moist woods, Me. , south to Va. 



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