Monotropa hypopitys

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Monotropa hypopitys

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Genus:	Monotropa
Species:	M. hypopitys

Binomial name

Monotropa hypopitys
L.

Synonyms

See text

Monotropa hypopitys, also known as Dutchman's Pipe, Yellow Bird's-nest or Pinesap, is a herbaceous perennial plant, formerly classified in the family Monotropaceae, but now included within the Ericaceae. It is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, but is generally scarce or rare, and is endangered in many areas.

Unlike most plants, it does not contain chlorophyll; it is a myco-heterotroph, getting is food through parasitism upon fungi rather than photosynthesis. Thus it is capable of living in very dark conditions, such as the floor of a deep forest, because it does not need any sunlight.

It grows from 10–35 cm tall with a single unbranched stem; all parts of the plant are pale yellowish white to reddish-tinged. The leaves are reduced to 5–10 mm long scales, which cover most of the stem. The flowers are pendulous, 9–12 mm long, produced in a cluster of 2–11 together at the apex of the stem. It flowers between early summer and mid autumn; plants that flower in summer tend to be yellow, while those that flower in autumn are more often reddish.

The species name is sometimes mis-spelled "hypopithys". The variability of the species in the colour on the stem and flowers, and the number of flowers per stem, has led to an extensive synonymy for the species; synonyms include Hypopitys americana, H. fimbriata, H. insignata, H. lanuginosa, H. latisquama, H. monotropa, Monotropa chinensis, M. hypophegea, M. lanuginosa, M. latisquama, M. multiflora and M. taiwaniana.