Snowplant

there is essentially zero pharmacological or phytochemical literature on this specific species.

the snow plant of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades — is a myco-heterotrophic holoparasite that steals carbon from mycorrhizal fungi rather than photosynthesizing. it is host-specific and can only form relationships with the ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete Rhizopogon ellenae. it is reportedly edible when cooked, with the root having a texture and flavor similar to asparagus. that's essentially the entirety of documented human use.

it's federally protected in California — you cannot pick it — and because it only grows in undisturbed old-growth conifer forests, collection for research purposes is extremely limited.