| Kopsiopsis strobilacea | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Orobanchaceae |
| Genus: | Kopsiopsis |
| Species: | K. strobilacea |
| Binomial name | |
| Kopsiopsis strobilacea (A.Gray) Beck | |
Kopsiopsis strobilacea, the California groundcone, is a species of parasitic plant in the family Orobanchaceae. [1] [2] [3] It is native to California and southern Oregon, where it grows in wooded areas and chaparral. It is a parasite of Arbutus menziesii and inland manzanitas, [4] which it parasitizes by penetrating them with haustoria to tap nutrients.[ citation needed ] The groundcone is visible aboveground as a dark purplish or reddish to brown inflorescence up to 18 cm (7.1 in) long. Pale-margined purple flowers emerge from between the overlapping bracts. [2]
Formerly considered Boschniakia strobilacea, some taxonomists now place it in the genus Kopsiopsis on the basis of phylogenetic evidence. [5] Morphological evidence indicates that this species may have exchanged genetics with Kopsiopsis hookeri in areas where their distribution overlaps.
