These plants don’t photosynthesize!! Ghost pipes (Monotropa uniflora), are ghostly white because they lack chlorophyll (the green pigment). These plants obtain all their carbon and nutrients by parasitizing on underground fungus. They tap into fungi that form mutual partnerships with plants, thereby indirectly siphoning nutrients from photosynthetic hosts. This is known as mycoheterotrophy! They emerge from the ground in clusters, with their translucent stems topped with single, nodding flowers.

10K views · 149 reactions | Monotropa uniflora, also known as ghost...