Native Plants
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Cressler, Alan
Conopholis americana
Conopholis americana (L.) Wallr.
American Cancer-root, Squawroot
Orobanchaceae (Broom-Rape Family)
Synonym(s): Orobanche americana
USDA Symbol: COAM
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
A parasitic plant with yellowish to cream-colored flowers emerging among lanceolate or ovate, pointed, yellow-tan scales on upper part of a fleshy stalk.
This plant resembles a pinecone as it becomes dry and brown with age. A parasite, it gets its nourishment from the roots of oaks, its host trees. A closely related species, Alpine Squawroot (C. alpina), occurs from the southwestern United States down to Oaxaca in southern Mexico.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 8 inches tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: YellowBloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun
Distribution
USA: AL , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SC , TN , VA , VT , WI , WVCanada: NS
Native Distribution: Manitoba east to Nova Scotia, south to Florida, west to Mississippi, and north to Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
Native Habitat: Woods, under oaks.
Benefit
Conspicuous Flowers: yesWeb Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Conopholis americana in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Conopholis americana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Conopholis americana
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-04-25Research By: TWC Staff