@nisemikol Your comments reminded me of this shot - this is one of my favorite plant photos, and required me to lie down full-frontal on wet forest floor to get the shot. 110% worth it.
Monotropa unifloria - also known as Indian Pipe or Ghost Pipe - a rare parasitic plant that only occasionally shows itself as purple-trimmed white flowers, sometimes pink, very rarely reddish.
The same kid also spotted some ghost pipes - another thing I've seen photos of but had never seen with my own eyes
#GhostPipe
#IndianGhostPipe - #MonotropaUniflora
Herbaceous, #perennial flowering plant.
It can't generate its own chlorophyll & is #parasitic - specifically #mycoheterotroph. Its #symbiotic #fungi hosts are in the #Russulaceae family.
Through the fungal web of #mycorrhizae, #GhostPipe roots sap food from where the host fungi are connected to the #photosynthetic #trees. Clustered node roots of this plant are covered in hairs called #cystidium. The #cystidia found on these roots allow easy attachment to #FungiHyphae. As it's not dependent on sunlight to grow, it can grow in very dark environments, like understories of forests.
#Indigenous #Cherokee peoples feature the "pipe plant" in some of their #CreationStories. The legend states that the plant was named "Indian pipe" due to a group of chiefs quarreling without resolution, while passing a pipe around during the dispute; the Great Spirit then turned the chiefs into the plant, as they should have smoked the sacred pipe after making peace with each other. The plant is said to grow wherever friends have quarreled.
Native to #PacificNorthwest & a few other areas too.
#NotAFungi #PlantIdentification #PlantLovers #ParasiticPlants #InterestingPlants #Wsanec #Saanich #PNW #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #cascadia #LearnAboutPlants #Bloomscrolling #StrangeFlowers #ForestPlants #YYJ #Nature #WildPlants #NativePlants
And nowww....found in the back yard!
#Mushroom and #fungi have been sparse this year, but here's a single ghost pipe coming up through some leaf litter.
A side view of the first cluster and the view of both of them from a distance
(See 2 photos above)
Another clump in the front yard!
Found in my front yard!
Ghost Pipe also known as an Indian pipe monotropa uniflora. It looks like a mushroom but it is a perennial parasitic flower. the whole plant is white. After it is pollinated the stalk straightens up and the fruit ripens to a pale pink. Edible in small quantities more when cooked. Supposedly tastes like asparagus. Good source of calcium
#hobonichitecho #hobonichi #ink #micron #doodle #white #ghostpipe #flowers #watercolor #drawing #sketchoftheday #sotd #botanicalillustration #edible #MastoArt
A plant without chlorophyll! Happened upon this #ghostpipe (Monotropa uniflora), a species that obtains its energy from photosynthetic plants via a shared mycorrhizal network.
My #FungiFriday contribution is not a fungi, but a plant that is commonly mistaken for a mushroom. This is #Monotropauniflora, also known a #ghostpipe or #ghostplant. #flora #naturephotography #notamushroom
Indian #GhostPipe #mushroom #fungi in Francis King Park in Highlands; about 12 minutes drive from my place.
#Nature #InTheForest #CRDParks #CoolThings #Saanich #Wsanec #vanisle #VancouverIsland #PNW #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #BritishColumbia #Canada
