About Pyrularia pubera Michx.
Pyrularia pubera is a shrub that belongs to the sandalwood family. Its range extends through the eastern United States, from New York to Alabama, and it is most commonly found in the Appalachian Mountains. This species is widely known by the common names buffalo nut and oil nut. It grows to a maximum height of 4 meters, or 13 feet, and typically grows in the shade cast by other trees. Pyrularia pubera is a parasitic plant classified as a hemiparasite: while it carries out photosynthesis on its own, it also parasitizes the roots of surrounding plants, and it is able to infect a wide range of host species.
