ghost pipe
Ericaceae (Crowberry family)
(Previously in Monotropaceae)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Introduction
Parasitic species of moist to mesic forests. Distinctive totally white plants with a solitary white flower, turning black as it ages.
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Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a fleshy root mass; parasites on mycorrhizal fungi associated with trees; "stems" many, erect, simple, 5-30 cm tall, waxy-white, blackening with age; persistent after seed dispersal; without chlorophyll.
Leaves:
Scale-like, linear or lanceolate to egg-shaped, up to 10 mm long; entire or somewhat wavy-margined.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a terminal, solitary flower, curved to one side or even drooping, becoming erect in fruit; calyces and corollas similar; corollas narrowly bell-shaped, 15-20 mm long, the petals 5, pouch-like at the base, oblong spoon-shaped, more or less hairy within; calyces of 2 to 4 bract-like sepals or lacking; stamens shorter than the corolla; styles 2-5 mm wide; stigmas discoid-lobed.
Fruits:
Capsules, erect, nearly globe-shaped, 5-7 mm long.
Notes:
Stem and leaves can be considered part of the inflorescence.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Ecology
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
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|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
455 | 0 | 1926 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
19 | 0 | 150 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
240 | 15 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
4 | 2 | 6 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
147 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
ICH | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
CDF(28), CWH(45), ESSF(4), ICH(46), IDF(6), MS(2), PP(1), SBS(13) | ||
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Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
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Habitat and Range
Mesic to moist forests in the lowland and montane zones; frequent in extreme SW BC, infrequent in SC BC, and rare in C BC; N to SE AK, E to NF, and S to CA, MX, and FL; Central America; Asia.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Monotropa brittonii Small
Taxonomic Keys
1. Plants pinkish to straw-coloured; inflorescence of several to many flowers in terminal clusters; petals 4, 10-14 mm long; sepals 4...........................M. hypopithys
1. Plants waxy-white; inflorescence of a single terminal flower; petals usually 5, 15-20 mm long; sepals lacking but upper bracts sepal-like...........................M. uniflora Source: Illustrated Flora of British Columbia |