One of our favorite plants along the Interpretive Trail
showed up this week! The hard to miss
Indian Pipe can be found in several locations on the trail system. This unique plant may look like a fungus, but
is actually a member of the Wintergreen family (Pyrolaceae). You will find
this plant in the dense shade of moist woodlands; it doesn’t need sunlight as
it doesn’t produce green chlorophyll. It
is involved in a symbiotic relationship with host plants that it absorbs
nutrients from. Also known as the
“corpse plant,” the plant starts out a bright white standing straight up, and
as the flowers open it bends down forming a pipe shape- they then turn brown as
the plant ages. Look for this plant and
many other late summer blooming flowers all along the trail system at the
Discovery Center!
Photo by Peter Rebholz
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