Beechdrops (Epifagus virginiana)
While hiking in the Blue Hills this afternoon, I found a plant I’d never noticed before. In fact, in one section of the forest, where beech trees were the dominant canopy cover, there were many of these 4 to 8 inch high plants. These small plants branched only at the base, had somewhat spongy or succulent stems, and were tan with purple streaks. Almost all of the flowers were still unopened (in fact, I didn’t notice any open flowers until…