Monotropaceae
Monotropa uniflora
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Ghost Flower on:
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| Other Names for this Plant |
Indian Pipe, Ice Plant, Corpse Plant, Fairy Smoke
My back yard...Greenwood, Sussex County, Delaware
The plant is sometimes completely white but commonly has black flecks and a pale pink coloration. Rare variants may have a deep red color.
The stems reach heights of 10-30 cm, clothed with small scale-leaves 5-10 mm long. As its scientific name suggests, and unlike the related Monotropa hypopitys (but like the closely related Monotropastrum humile), the stems bear only a single flower, 10-15 mm long with 3-8 petals. It flowers from early summer to early autumn.
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What's This?
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Erica Order (Heathers) |
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Main, Real, Two First-Leaves (Dicots) |
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Real, Two First-Leaves (Dicots) |
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Half Capsule Seed Division |
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Magnolia Division |
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Seed Plants |
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Multiple Spore Sub-Kingdom |
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Multicellular Land Plants |
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Cells with a Nucleus |
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This Rare plant has an odd relationship required for growth...Until recently, botanists believed that Indian Pipes were saprophytes, subsisting on dead or decaying organic material. Recent investigations, however, have revealed that Monotropa uniflora is actually parasitic on a fungus that is in a "mycorrhizal" relationship with a tree. The fungus and the tree are exchanging nutrients in a mutually beneficial relationship; the Indian Pipes have duped the fungus into "believing" it is in a second mycorrhizal relationship--but in reality the fungus gets nothing out of the deal, and is being parasitized by Monotropa uniflora. Chlorophyll is not involved in the process, which accounts for the plant's ghostly colors
The plant was used by some native North American Indian tribes to treat eye problems, the stem was bruised and the clear fluid of the stems applied to the eyes. The Cherokee pulverized root and gave it for epilepsy and convulsions.
Some people believe is smells like pickling vinegar...I did not notice and odor
Ghost Flower
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| Comment:
Ghost Flower, Monotropa uniflora |
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