Indian pipe wildflower study
These flowers fascinate me. Not many people know they really are flowers, mistaking them for some kind of fungus, but no - they're plants. They're saprophytic though, meaning they do not have chlorophyll which is what makes plants green and allows them to convert sunlight to energy. Instead, saprophytic plants use their root systems to tap into other plants and siphon energy that way.
In the case of Indian Pipe a special kind of fungus is needed to make the energy transfer happen. Without it, the plants don't grow. It also seems they prefer beeches and hemlocks. Some stands have a pinkish hue (rosy glow). If you touch them, they feel silky and smooth, but will turn black at the points of contact.
When a flower is pollinated, it bends upward, becoming straight and out of its typical pipe shape. Each flower that is pollinated creates a seed pod and the whole flower will over-winter, becoming brown and brittle. The next year it starts all over again. Cool huh?
Read MoreIn the case of Indian Pipe a special kind of fungus is needed to make the energy transfer happen. Without it, the plants don't grow. It also seems they prefer beeches and hemlocks. Some stands have a pinkish hue (rosy glow). If you touch them, they feel silky and smooth, but will turn black at the points of contact.
When a flower is pollinated, it bends upward, becoming straight and out of its typical pipe shape. Each flower that is pollinated creates a seed pod and the whole flower will over-winter, becoming brown and brittle. The next year it starts all over again. Cool huh?
