California Groundcone

Description

Boschniakia strobilacea is a species of parasitic plant in the broomrape family known by the common name California groundcone.It is native to California and southern Oregon, where it grows in wooded areas and chaparral. It is a parasite of manzanitas and madrones, which it parasitizes by penetrating them with haustoria to tap nutrients. The groundcone is visible aboveground as a dark purplish or reddish to brown inflorescence up to 18 centimeters long. Pale-margined purple flowers emerge from between the overlapping bracts.