Dutchman's Pipe / Pinesap (Monotropa hypopitys)
Growing below mostly pines in a mossy area in a dense mixed hardwood/coniferous forest in NW Georgia (Gordon County), US. June 15, 2018.
Monotropa hypopitys is a nonphotosynthetic, mycoheterotrophic plant that thrives in the dark understories of forests. Because it lacks chlorophyll, it must obtain its nutrients from other sources. It is a parasite on fungi (usually Tricholoma sp.) and an indirect parasite of trees. It obtains nutrients from fungi which are initially obtained from trees.
"Monotropa hypopitys" is a herbaceous perennial plant. Unlike most plants, it does not contain chlorophyll; it is a myco-heterotroph, getting its food through parasitism upon fungi rather than photosynthesis. These fungi form a mycorrhiza with nearby tree species.
