Came across some of these today out in the woods. One of the botanists identified it as a Monotropa uniflora (Indian Pipe or Corpse Flower), a parasitic member of the blueberry family that’s non-photosynthetic (which is why it’s that beautiful white all over.) It gets all of it’s energy and nutrients from fungi that coexist with certain tree roots (in this case pine) and because it doesn’t need sunlight to grow it often inhabits very dark places. Each plant produces a single drooped flower- Spooky!
a lonely impulse of delight
