Monotropa uniflora
Encyclopedia
Monotropa uniflora, also known as the Ghost Plant, Indian Pipe, or Corpse Plant is a herbaceous
perennial plant
, formerly classified in the family Monotropaceae
, but now included within the Ericaceae
. It is native to temperate regions of Asia
, North America
and northern South America
, but with large gaps between areas. It is generally scarce or rare in occurrence but is common or even ubiquitous in some areas, such as many parts of eastern North America.
Unlike most plants, it is white and does not contain chlorophyll
. Instead of generating energy from sunlight, it is parasitic, more specifically a myco-heterotroph. Its hosts
are certain fungi that are mycorrhiza
l with trees, meaning it ultimately gets its energy from photosynthetic trees. Since it is not dependent on sunlight to grow, it can grow in very dark environments as in the understory of dense forest. The complex relationship that allows this plant to grow also makes propagation
difficult.
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.
Like most mycoheterotrophic plants, M. uniflora associates with a small range of fungal hosts, all of them members of Russulaceae
.
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
, formerly classified in the family Monotropaceae
Monotropaceae
Monotropaceae was a small family of flowering plants under the old Cronquist system of plant classification. It included 10 genera Allotropa, Cheilotheca, Hemitomes, Monotropa, Monotropastrum, Monotropsis, Pityopus, Pleuricospora, Pterospora, Sarcodes....
, but now included within the Ericaceae
Ericaceae
The Ericaceae, commonly known as the heath or heather family, is a group of mostly calcifuge flowering plants. The family is large, with roughly 4000 species spread across 126 genera, making it the 14th most speciose family of flowering plants...
. It is native to temperate regions of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and northern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, but with large gaps between areas. It is generally scarce or rare in occurrence but is common or even ubiquitous in some areas, such as many parts of eastern North America.
Unlike most plants, it is white and does not contain chlorophyll
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Its name is derived from the Greek words χλωρος, chloros and φύλλον, phyllon . Chlorophyll is an extremely important biomolecule, critical in photosynthesis, which allows plants to obtain energy from light...
. Instead of generating energy from sunlight, it is parasitic, more specifically a myco-heterotroph. Its hosts
Host (biology)
In biology, a host is an organism that harbors a parasite, or a mutual or commensal symbiont, typically providing nourishment and shelter. In botany, a host plant is one that supplies food resources and substrate for certain insects or other fauna...
are certain fungi that are mycorrhiza
Mycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant....
l with trees, meaning it ultimately gets its energy from photosynthetic trees. Since it is not dependent on sunlight to grow, it can grow in very dark environments as in the understory of dense forest. The complex relationship that allows this plant to grow also makes propagation
Plant propagation
Plant propagation is the process of creating new plants from a variety of sources: seeds, cuttings, bulbs and other plant parts. Plant propagation can also refer to the artificial or natural dispersal of plants.-Sexual propagation :...
difficult.
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
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
5-10 mm long. As its scientific name suggests, and unlike the related Monotropa hypopitys
Monotropa hypopitys
Monotropa hypopitys, also known as Dutchman's Pipe, Yellow Bird's-nest or Pinesap, is a herbaceous perennial plant, formerly classified in the families Monotropaceae or Pyrolaceae, but now included within the subfamily Monotropoidiae of the blueberry family...
(but like the closely related Monotropastrum humile), the stems bear only a single flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
, 10-15 mm long with 3-8 petals. It flowers from early summer to early autumn.
Like most mycoheterotrophic plants, M. uniflora associates with a small range of fungal hosts, all of them members of Russulaceae
Russulaceae
The Russulaceae are a family of fungi in the order Russulales. According to a 2008 estimate, the family contains 1243 species. Its species typically have fruit bodies with friable, chalk-like stalks, that break with a distinct crack, somewhat like a carrot but with porous flesh...
.
External links
- Several images are available from the USDA PLANTS Profile.
- Ca. 100 images are available from flickr.