Tag Archives: parasitic plant

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Last year Mel Smith found three rare Groundcones on a neighboring property. I've been looking ever since to see if there might be a few on Rick's and my land. A few days ago, I was rewarded. I present to you this rare sighting of Groundcones, Kopsiopsis hookeri.

There is a lot of sandstone where we live, and these parasitic plants are growing in the sandy soil.

Our neighbor's property shares several other sightings with our land - matsutake mushrooms in the winter, Sugarstick, another unusual parasitic plant, and mixed forest and shrubs, which include manzanita, huckleberry, Bishop pines, Tan-oak, Redwoods, Douglas Fir, and more. Sugarsticks, Allotropa virgata, are just barely peeking through the forest duff. Here is a photo from a previous year of these beautiful plants.

There is something magical going on underneath our feet!

It's a beautiful spring day on the Mendonoma Coast. The wind has died down, and the clouds are gone. There is some much-needed rain coming in late this weekend. Fingers crossed!

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A rare plant has bloomed near Rick’s and my home in Anchor Bay, last year and this year too. We took wildflower aficionados Mel Smith and Linda Bostwick to see the spiky maroon and white flower last weekend. There, growing in sandy soil and forest duff, was a Sugarstick, Allotropa virgata.

Here's a closer view of the flowers - they are quite beautiful.

Sugarsticks, also called Candysticks, are parasitic plants. They feed on fungi in the soil. The two places I’ve found them have Matsutake mushrooms in the fall. If you have known Matsutake spots, look and see if you might also have Sugersticks. Last year’s flowers are still standing as leathery thin stalks.

Interesting that they seem to be associated with Matsutake fungus!

We have had cool, foggy weather on the Mendonoma coast this week. The sun finally appeared mid-afternoon. There are lots of people here with their fancy cars, as there is a car show on Saturday at Gualala Arts. It's free and lots of fun. Here is a link to the Gualala Arts Center about the event: http://gualalaarts.org/2018/07/10th-annual-gualala-arts-auto-show-8th-annual-pinewood-derby/

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Peter Baye was at Manchester State Park when he saw this plant, Dodder, Cuscuta.

Dodder, a parasitic plant, growing on Gumplant by Peter Baye

Dodder is the orange and beige string-like plant. It is parasitic and it has attached itself to a Gumplant, the green leaves in the photo. In the next photo you can see the little pegs on its bright-orange leafless thread-like stems. Peter tells me it inserts these into its host's leaves to obtain water and nutrients.

A stem of Dodder inserting itself into Gumplant by Peter Baye

It's blooming very early this year. Dodder has vanilla-scented flowers and is in the morning glory family.

Peter also found a half-parasite plant, a rare dune variety of Purple Owl's clover, Castilleja exerta subsp. latifolia.

Rare dune variety of Purple Owl's-clover, Castilleja exserta latifolia, by Peter Baye

Peter says it taps into dune sage's roots. There was obviously enough rain in early winter for it to grow.

Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

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On a hike with Peter Baye and Will Ericson last Sunday - two of my Sightings experts - Rick and I showed them the ancient, twisted Redwood tree on a neighboring property. Peter declared it a forest god and said it was perhaps 2000 years old. I will give you the link below to see photos I have previously posted of this glorious tree.

We then visited our neighbors Frank and Nan Drouillard who showed us the most unusual growths on the forest floor.

I thought they were a type parasitic mushroom but after some research Peter believes the first photo is California Groundcones, Boschniakia strobilacea, a parasitic plant. Both plants are members of the broomrape family  and live off the roots of Manzanita and Madrone, both of which are found on Frank and Nan's land. More study is needed to determine exactly what the white plants are.

Rick and I will hike down to this spot and monitor the progress in the weeks to come. And I will, of course, share the photos with you here.

Here is the link to see the "forest god" old-growth redwood tree: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/05/26/old-growth-redwood-tree-that-survived-the-loggers-because-it-grew-in-a-twisted-shape/