**Description:** A brown, leafless plant that grows exclusively as a parasite on the roots of American Beech trees.
**Size:** Grows 4 to 12 inches tall.
**Behavior:** Lacks chlorophyll and steals all nutrients from the host tree. It is a "specialist parasite" that appears in late summer and autumn.
**Identification:** Look for brownish, scaly stems that resemble dead twigs. Flowers are small, tubular, and often striped purple.
**Habitat:** Found strictly in the understory of mature forests where American Beech is present.