what is this

[bowtruck]

My wife and i was in the woods and come across this what is

[mlo31351270]

It is hard to see the picture, i think it is called Indian Pipes.

[bowtruck]

That might be it . Kinda looked like a rose . But white and mushroomey withpurple in the head part

[blkpowder]

Your exactly correct mlo; bowtrucks photo is-Monotropa uniflora, also known as the Ghost Plant, Indian Pipe, or Corpse Plant.

[bowtruck]

thanks blk

[BTBowhunter]

Yep, Indian pipes. Got dozens of em right around my camp.

[R.S.B.]

I believe Indian pipes are the only plant in the state that completely lack chlorophyll.

DCE and I saw a bunch of them inside a couple of deer fences earlier this week.

R.S. Bodenhorn

[bowtruck]

thanks guys

[bluebird2]

This month's fungus is Monotropa uniflora, the ghost plant (also known as Indian Pipe)

For the rest of my pages on fungi, please click TomVolkFungi.net
For more Halloween and other holiday fungi, please click here

This month's fungus is not a fungus at all, but is often brought in to forays and by students thinking it must be a fungus because it's white and doesn't have any chlorophyll. But it's really a flowering plant-- in the blueberry family! This is one of about 3000 species of non-photosynthetic (i.e. heterotrophic) flowering plants. How does this plant survive?? I'll tell you later of the interesting way that this non-photosynthetic plant gets its food.

Monotropa uniflora can actually grow in dark (and spoooooooooky) environments because it is not dependent on light for photosynthesis. I tend to find this plant in rich habitats-- dense moist forests with much surface leaf litter, often in a situation that is too shaded for autotrophic (photosynthetic) growth. Finding the ghost plant is an indication to me that I am in a very rich woods, and I should be on the lookout for lots of interesting fungi. Monotropa uniflora is the most common species in Wisconsin and the rest of North America east of the Great Plains. It is also known from ***an, and probably occurs in other places as well. There are relatives of this plant that occur throughout the world.

There are at least 3000 species of non-photosynthetic members of the plant kingdom. All of these are vascular flowering plants (angiosperms), except for one weird non-photosynthetic liverwort that I know of (Cryptothallus mirabilis). Many of these angiosperms are members of the Ericaceae, a family that also includes blueberries, cranberries, heath, Rhododendron, azaleas, Arctostaphylos, and Arbutus. There are many other species of Monotropa, as well as other genera of mycoparasitic plants including Pterospora, Hermitomes, Sarcodes, Pityopus and others. All of these non-photosynthetic members of the Ericaceae belong to the subfamily Monotropoideae. There are a number of other plants in other families that I will discuss later.

Note that they grow where there is not enough light for photosynthetic growth, which means there would be no regeneration of commercially valuable trees.

[BTBowhunter]

Note that they grow where there is not enough light for photosynthetic growth, which means there would be no regeneration of commercially valuable trees.

Not true at all. We select cut our timber 5-6 years ago and have indian pipes all over right along side of new red oak, white oak and cherry seedling/saplings. They don't like direct sunlight but they do just fine in regenerating forest.