Sunday, September 8, 2019

Bloom Time - Indian Pipe

Monotropa uniflora.


This has been a good year for Indian Pipe, both in our yard and along the Batona Trail.


We had some last year in this same spot, but this year it has exploded. Although not all of it actually broke up and out of the ground.


Milky white with just a tinge of pink (no green!) it has no chlorophyll and thus cannot make its own food.


It is a saprophytic plant, one of two in our area (Pinesap, the other, I've never seen). These plants take nourishment from decaying organic matter in the soil. And in our wooded areas we've got that in spades, so it is no surprise this pretty little flower is blooming here.

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