Some plants just look plain weird. I gave my talk at the South London Botanical Institute last night about hiking in California and Oregon (the talk went well I'm relieved to say). I included a few photos of strange looking plants that haven't appeared on the blog as yet so here they are.
 At the top is Bear Grass (Xerophyllum tenax) which I have read is still used by Native Americans for basket making.
 The next may be of the Castilleja genus which is known for the very colourful "Paintbrush" species but there seem to be some where the bulbous heads don't open. Actually I'm guessing here, more research needed.
Finally a Coralroot- Corallorrihiza maculata or mertensiana perhaps? These are of the orchid family and do not photosynthesize or produce chlorophyll relying instead on a symbiotic relationship with mychorrhizal funghi for nutrition.
 In the background is Wizard Island on Crater Lake. It seems more than a few months ago that I stopped to take this photo as I hiked around the rim of the caldera. It was nice to do the talk yesterday and encapsulate some of the memories and feelings about that trip.