Squawroot

They have a sort of papery texture. These are just emerging from the roots of a tree. I had to brush away leaves to find them.
C. americana is parasitic on the roots of woody plants, especially oaks (genus Quercus) and beech (genus Fagus). The only part of the plant generally seen is the cone-shaped inflorescence,which appears above ground in spring.The entire structure is a yellowish color, turning to brown and achieves heights of 10 centimeters (4 in) to 20 centimeters (8 in) tall.