An Unusual Plant - Indian Pipe

I spotted this strange plant called Indian Pipe in our woods yesterday. I hadn't seen it for many years, and now it is in an entirely different area of the forest. There are several patches of it and I don't think it's fully matured yet as its top doesn't curve over as I recall from before. It was in a drier part of the woods waaaay back when and that's probably why it died out. Our footprints might have something to do with it also as we used to hike a lot in that particular area.

It has chosen to survive by growing at the top of the bank that was created when we put our road in. I stood on the road at the bottom of the bank and shot up in order to capture the pictures. No one will be able to hike up here without falling off the bank!

Indian Pipe's scientific name is Monotropa uniflora. I think it has probably just come up out of the humus of the forest floor. My field guide says it gets its nourishment from decayed organic material through a fungal relationship associated with the roots. It IS a flower, but a strange one!!!


MimiRock at Castle Yonder