Reader Lori van Handel found this interesting thing on the forest floor in Williamstown, Massachusetts. What is it?
Answer
This is American bear corn (Conopholis americana), a parasitic plant that does not photosynthesize and is dependent on its host – typically oak trees – for nutrients. Here it is pictured in fruit, though it can persist in a withered state all winter.
This week’s contest winner was Elise Leduc-Fleming