A parasitic plant

Photographed with Nikon D700 and Nikor 105mm f/2.8 lens.

Last week I had an opportunity to join a couple of friends in Algonquin Park (Ontario) for a 12 km hike.  While hiking through a mixed forest we stumbled upon a small cluster of white plants growing on the forest floor.  What seemed strange at the time was the plants were growing in an area of the forest that did not receive direct sunlight.

As it turned out we came across Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora), a native plant to the temperate regions of Asia, North America and northern South America.  

Unlike most other plants, Indian Pipe is white and does not contain chlorophyll (the pigment that gives the green colour to all other plants).  Chlorophyll also provides energy for plants but in order for that to happen the green pigment (found in the leaves) needs to be exposed to sunlight.  So, how does the Indian Pipe generate its energy if it lacks chlorophyll?

The answer is quite simple.  Instead of producing energy from sunlight, the Indian Pipe is parasitic - meaning that the plant feeds off another living source. The plant hosts a certain fungi that has formed a relationship with the roots of trees growing near by.  In general terms, the fungus 'steals' the energy from the roots of trees growing in the sunlight and this energy is then supplied to the Indian Pipe plant.

This special, but complex, relationship created by the fungus allows the Indian Pipe to grow in the very dark environment such as the understory of a dense forest.  Now, that is neat!