Flower of the Day: Indian Pipe

Monotropa uniflora; Monotropaceae (Indian pipe family); more recently phylogenists are placing it in the Ericaceae (heath family)

20140614-DSC_0216Another saprophyte (like squawroot, FOTD 6/04).  It completely lacks chlorophyll, deriving nutrients from decaying matter.  But it is indeed a flowering plant, not a fungus.  Bees even visit the flowers for nectar.

20140618-DSC_0061Yes, I was lying on my belly to get these shots.  The leaves on the ground give a sense of scale.  Indian pipe grows only a few inches tall.

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