3. Aphyllon. Flowers pedicellate, sometimes subsessile and thyrsoid-spicate. Calyx regularly 5-cleft. Corolla somewhat 2-lipped. Stamens included.
4. Orobanche. Flowers sessile, spicate. Calyx cleft before and behind almost to the base. Corolla 2-lipped. Stamens included.
1. EPIPHÈGUS, Nutt. Beech-drops. Cancer-root.
Flowers racemose or spiked, scattered on the branches; the upper sterile, with a long tubular corolla and long filaments and style; the lower fertile, with a very short corolla which seldom opens, but is forced off from the base by the growth of the pod; stamens and style very short. Calyx 5-toothed. Stigma capitate, a little 2-lobed. Capsule 2-valved at the apex, with 2 approximate placentæ on each valve.—Herbs slender, purplish or yellowish-brown, much branched, with small scattered scales, 6–12´ high. (Name from ἐπί, upon, and φηγός, the Beech, because it grows on the roots of that tree.)
1. E. Virginiàna, Bart. Corolla of the upper (sterile) flowers whitish and purple, 6–8´´ long, curved, 4-toothed.—Common under Beech-trees, parasitic on their roots; N. Brunswick to Wisc., south to Fla. and Ark. Aug.–Oct.
2. CONÓPHOLIS, Wallroth. Squaw-root. Cancer-root.
Flowers in a thick scaly spike, perfect, with 2 bractlets at the base of the irregularly 4–5-toothed calyx; its tube split down on the lower side. Corolla tubular, swollen at base, strongly 2 lipped; upper lip arched, notched at the summit, the lower shorter, 3-parted, spreading. Stamens protruded. Stigma depressed. Capsule with 4 placentæ, a pair on the middle of each valve.—Upper scales forming bracts to the flowers, regularly imbricate, not unlike those of a fir-cone (whence the name, from κῶνος, a cone, and φολίς, a scale).
1. C. Americàna, Wallroth.—Oak woods, growing in clusters among fallen leaves; N. Eng. to Mich., south to Fla. and Tenn. May, June.—A singular plant, chestnut-colored or yellowish throughout, as thick as a man's thumb, 3–6´ high, covered with fleshy scales, which become dry and hard.
3. APHÝLLON, Mitchell. Naked Broom-rape.
Flowers perfect, pedicellate, sometimes subsessile and thyrsoid-spicate. Calyx 5-cleft, regular. Corolla somewhat 2-lipped; the upper lip more or less spreading and 2-lobed, the lower spreading, 3-lobed. Stamens included. Stigma broadly 2-lipped or crateriform. Capsule with 4 placentæ, equidistant or contiguous in pairs. Plants brownish or whitish. Flowers (purplish or yellowish) and naked scapes minutely glandular-pubescent. (Name from α- privative and φύλλον, foliage, alluding to the naked stalks.)