Flowering period: April to June.
Similar Species: The clusters of pale, sticky stems and their solitary, whitish, cylindrical flowers are distinctive.
Lucas Land
One-flowered Cancerroot
or
Ghost Pipe
Orobanche uniflora
from Nearctica
Identification: Parasitic on the roots of herbaceous plants, lacking chlorophyll. Flowers cylindrical, bent, white to pale lavender in color. Plant with several pale, sticky stems arising from the base of the root, each stem with a single flower. Leaves reduced to a set of scales near the base of the plant. Plant 3 to 10 inches in height.
Distribution: Throughout most of North America.
Habitat: One-flowered Cancer Root is found in damp woodlands and thickets.