When we were hiking the Oyster Dome Trail in Whatcom County near Puget Sound in Washington, I found this strange plant 鈥� or is it a fungus (see photo)? Can anyone identify it?
鈥� This is , corpse plant or Indian pipe, presumably because the seed capsules look like a Native American pipe.
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It is a flowering plant, not a fungus, but is unusual in having no chlorophyll, hence the white or pink colour. It parasitises the mycelium of Russula fungi, which in turn parasitise the roots of deciduous trees such as beech. It is also said to have a variety of medicinal uses.
鈥淚t is also known as Indian pipe, presumably because the seed capsules look like a Native American pipe鈥�
A related species grows in the UK: , or yellow bird鈥檚 nest, which is occasionally found in conifer woods.
Greg Nuttgens, Bridgend, Mid-Glamorgan, UK
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