Lathraea squamaria

Light purple, achlorophyllous, perennial parasite that often forms dense stands.

10–20 cm high.

The stem is thick, simple and light-colored. The stem withers already in midsummer.

There are fleshy scale leaves on the stem.

The rhizome is forked and densely covered with white scales.

The terminal raceme is dense and secund. The flowers are drooping and bracteate. The pedicel is about 5 mm long. The calyx is campanulate and four-lobed. The corolla is 14–17 mm and bilabiate. The lower lip is white. The plant often produces underground, cleistogamous flowers with small perianths.

The capsule is about 10 mm long, nearly globose and unilocular.