Beechdrops, (Epifagus virginiana). The genus name, "Epifagus", means "on beech", a reference to the parasitic lifecycle of this plant. It gets all its nourishment from the roots of Beech trees. It only emerges from the soil for a few weeks in the fall to flower and fruit, which it does without ever producing any leaves or chlorophyll.#botany #photography
nisemikol
This is interesting because I recently photographed my first woodland pinedrop (Pterospora andromedea) and then learned that the plant is mycoheterotrophic. I see that one of the common names of P. andromedea is "Albany beechdrops"—but these are not closely related to E. virginiana, right? And E. virginiana parasitizes beech trees rather than mycorrhizal fungi... Is the "...drops" part of these plants' common names just a coincidence resulting from their physical appearance then? I suppose that seems likely now that I've written this all out 😅 Anyway, cool specimen and accompanying info! Thanks for sharing!
I had to double check that Epifagus is a true parasite, and not a mycoheterotroph - and it is!
They aren't closely related. Epifagus is in the Orobanchaceae, the Broomrape family, and Pterospora is a member of the blueberry family (Ericaceae). I don't know why they're both called 'drops'!