Squaw Root

Saw several patches of these on the damp forest floor (spotted at Rockbridge in Logan, Ohio)

Like all members of the Broomrape family, the Squawroot contains no chlorophyll. It must therefore obtain nutrients from a host plant as a parasite. The Squawroot attaches to the root structure of oak trees for this purpose. However, this parasitic activity generally does not result in the death of the host tree, as the extraction is relatively minor and the number of individual Squawroot shoots is not extensive.