You’d all be able to identify this plant in the summertime, but what about now?
Answer
Indian pipes.
Indian pipes (Monotropa uniflora) turn upward in the fall and persist well into the next summer in a blackened form. The spooky white plants can’t photosynthesize and they rely on those that can for their sustenance. But, interestingly, they don’t directly parasitize green plants. They steal sugars and carbohydrates from the mycorrhizal fungi that have in turn stolen from green plants. Mycorrhizae, of course, benefit green plants by supplying them with raw materials. Maybe the Indian pipes contribute something, too, but that has yet to be discovered. In the meantime, look for them in dark woods. They don’t need sunlight.
This week’s contest winner was Laura Alexander of New London, NH.