What in the Woods Is That?

Play our biweekly guessing game!

Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.

Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).

January Jack-o-lanterns?

We found what looked like tiny pumpkins balanced on 6-inch stems rising from the forest floor. What are these?

Answer

They’re the winter form of Monotropa uniflora, known as ghost plant, corpse plant, and Indian pipe. In the growing season, M. uniflora has a waxy white appearance. It does not photosynthesize, instead drawing nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi. The winter structures that resemble pumpkins are actually seed capsules.

This week’s contest winner was Luella D. Landis