196 PEARLS AND PEBBLES'. 



are not visible. The whole plant looks like a tiny brush 

 or broom, and is more remarkable for the oddity of its 

 appearance than for its beauty. 



It belongs to a singular family, that known as the 

 Orobanche or Broom Rape family, to which also the term 

 Cancer Root has been popularly given. I believe this 

 curious plant is used by the Indian herb doctor as a cure 

 for cancer, but whether outwardly or inwardly is not 

 known. ' 



There are several species, some of the order having 

 blue and white tubular flowers, others yellowish-brown 

 and hairy ; all are parasites on the roots of oak, beech 

 and some other trees. 



INDIAN PIPE. 



Another of our curious flowers is the Indian Pipe 

 (Monotropa unifiora). This singular plant is distin- 

 guished by its pure whiteness, without one tinge of color. 

 From root to summit it is spotless, white as new fallen 

 snow. It is also called the Wood Snowdrop. It attracts 

 the eye by its contrast to the dark rich mould on which 

 it grows, generally at the foot of beech trees, sending up 

 a cluster of white-scaled stems some nine or ten inches 

 in height. Each thick stem is terminated by one white 

 pellucid flower about the size of a small tobacco pipe, 

 the head slightly bent downward at first, but becoming 

 erect for the better preservation of the seed. 



So sensitive is this remarkable plant that it turns black 



