Beechdrop flowering_DSC_9268
Plants behaving badly: Beech-drops (Epifagus virginiana) are parasitic plants that grow exclusively on the roots of beech trees. They only emerge above ground to flower. They lack chlorophyll as they obtain all their nutrients from the host tree and most of their life is spent as a tuber underground attached to the tree root. In this way they can survive in the deep shade of the forest floor. The flowering plants are about 20 to 30 cm tall and look like dead sticks until backlit, when the delicacy and translucence of their flowers becomes apparent. It is a member of the broomrape family (Orobanchaceae).
Beechdrop flowering_DSC_9268
Plants behaving badly: Beech-drops (Epifagus virginiana) are parasitic plants that grow exclusively on the roots of beech trees. They only emerge above ground to flower. They lack chlorophyll as they obtain all their nutrients from the host tree and most of their life is spent as a tuber underground attached to the tree root. In this way they can survive in the deep shade of the forest floor. The flowering plants are about 20 to 30 cm tall and look like dead sticks until backlit, when the delicacy and translucence of their flowers becomes apparent. It is a member of the broomrape family (Orobanchaceae).