Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Ericales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Monotropa uniflora
FAMILY
Ericaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
This is the familiar "ghost pipe" of our forests, a saprophytic herb without chlorophyll. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
Its short, stubby roots contain fungi that extend in a web-like way through dead rotting leaves and connect to the roots of conifers. The conifers provide sugar, which the fungi carry to the Indian Pipe plant. So it's really a parasite, not a saprophyte. Read more at the Botanical Society of America.
When distinguishing Monotropa species using morphological characters, it is important to take all characters into account including the habitat where the individual was seen. Read more in Reevaluating the species status of the Southern Ghost Pipe, Monotropa brittonii (Keesling, 2020).
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Monotropa uniflora
FAMILY
Monotropaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Monotropa uniflora
INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America
Monotropa uniflora
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 145-03-001:
Monotropa uniflora FAMILY Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Monotropa uniflora
COMMON NAME:
Indian Pipes, Ghost-flower, Common Ghost Pipes
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
Harry Davis hld947_ind_001f
May Greenville County SC
Jones Gap State Park
Flowers solitary, nodding, urn-shaped, the same color as the stem, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).
COMPARE Indian Pipes, Pinesap and Pygmy Pipes
JK Marlow jkm180825_4149
August Pickens County SC
Jocassee Gorges
Petals white to pinkish or reddish, base slightly saccate, per Flora of North America.
JK Marlow jkm180825_4151
August Pickens County SC
Jocassee Gorges
Stamens included; anthers horizontal at anthesis. Stigma broadly funnelform, per Flora of North America.
JK Marlow jkm220926_0002
September Spartanburg County SC
Nectaries are paired at stamen bases and point downward away from the flower opening, per Reevaluating the species status of the Southern Ghost Pipe, Monotropa brittonii (Keesling, 2020).
JK Marlow jkm211018_4389
October Pickens County SC
As the fruit matures, the stem straightens and the capsule is erect, per Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Monotropa uniflora
FAMILY
Ericaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Monotropa uniflora
FAMILY
Monotropaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Monotropa uniflora
INCLUDED WITHIN
Flora of North America
Monotropa uniflora
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 145-03-001:
Monotropa uniflora
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Monotropa uniflora
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".