Monotropa hypopitys, syn.Hypopitys monotropa, known as yellow bird's-nest in Britain and Ireland,[2]pinesap in Canada and the United States,[3][4] and also false beechdrops,[3] or Dutchman's pipe,[citation needed] is a herbaceousperennial plant, formerly classified in the families Monotropaceae or Pyrolaceae, but now included within the subfamily Monotropoideae of the family Ericaceae. It is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and is scarce or rare in many areas. However, it is still the most widespread member of the subfamily. While currently included in the genus Monotropa,[5] genetic evidence strongly suggests that Monotropa hypopitys should be placed in its own genus, Hypopitys, with the single species Hypopitys monotropa Crantz, but possibly containing several other species.[6][2][3] The Eurasian and North American lineages of the species are also genetically distinct.[6]
The plant is fleshy and grows to 10–35cm tall. True stems are nonexistent; instead, the only part which emerges from the soil are unbranched, adventitious inflorescences developmentally similar to adventitious roots.[7] All parts of the plant are pale yellowish white to reddish-tinged. The bracts are 5–10mm long scale-like structures, which cover most of the inflorescence. Plants flower from April to December depending on the geographic region (May to October in North America).[8] The flowers are pendulous when young, but become erect when they begin to mature into the fruit which is a capsule. The flowers are 9–12mm long and produced in a cluster of 1–11 together at the apex of the inflorescence, which is a raceme.[9] It flowers between early summer and mid autumn; plants that flower in summer are yellow and sparsely hairy, while those that flower in autumn are red and densely hairy. These two colour "forms" overlap in flowering time. It has been suggested that yellow individuals are largely self-pollinating.[10] The seeds may be the smallest of any dicot, weighing only 0.000003 of a gram.[11]
In California, Monotropa hypopitys may be confused for the much less common Pityopus or Hemitomes which are superficially similar.
Etymology
The species name is from LatinizedGreekhypo-, "under", and pitys, "pine", referring to where pinesap often grows.[12] However, Linnaeus misspelled it hypopithys. A few authorities still use this spelling;[13][14] on the other hand, it has been stated that the spelling "is generally treated as correctable to hypopitys";[15] this is now followed by most authorities.[5][4][16] The variability of the species in colour, hairiness, and in the number of flowers, has led to an extensive synonymy for the species. The entire list is over 80 synonyms;[7] some of which 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.
↑ Klinkenberg, Brian, ed. (2014). "Monotropa hypopitys". E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Retrieved 2015-01-17.
↑ Klooster, Matthew R.; Culley, Theresa M. (2009), Comparative ecology of Monotropa and Monotropsis: two mycoheterotrophic genera in the Monotripoidiae (Ericaceae), The American Journal of Botany
↑ Kerner von Marilaun, Anton (1894). Natural History of Plants - Volume 2. London: Blackie and Son. p.851.
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