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Conopholis americana
This plant is parasitic on the roots of woody plants, especially oaks (genus Quercus) and beech (genus Fagus). The cone-shaped inflorescence is the part of the plant that is visible.
Mixed hardwood forest.
3 Comments
Here's some more info about this plant: http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wood...
I'm not sure why it is called cancer-root. Possibly because it is parasitic on other plants (mostly oak trees) and, according to wikipedia, causes "the formation of large rounded knobs on the roots of the host tree. Another common name is squawroot.
Hi Kristal, the name caught my attention. Do you know why it's named this?