Monotropa uniflora

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Monotropa uniflora
Indian pipe PDB.JPG
Growing in the
Redwood National Forest
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Monotropa
Species:
M. uniflora
Binomial name
Monotropa uniflora
L.

Monotropa uniflora, also known as ghost plant, ghost pipe, or Indian pipe, is an herbaceous perennial flowering plant native to temperate regions of Asia, North America, and northern South America, but with large gaps between areas. [1] [2] The plant is waxy white, but some specimens have been described as having black flecks or pale pink coloration. [3] Rare variants may have a deep red color. The name "Monotropa" is Greek for "one turn" and "uniflora" is Latin for "one flowered" as there is one sharply curved stem for each single flower. M.uniflora is commonly found growing in clumps of 2 or more, with its fungal source nearby.

Contents

Description

The stems reach heights of 5–30 centimetres (2–12 in), sheathed with highly reduced leaves 5–10 millimetres (3⁄16–3⁄8 in) long, best identified as scales or bracts. These structures are small, thin, and translucent; they do not have petioles but instead extend in a sheath-like manner out of the stem.

As its scientific name suggests, and unlike the related Monotropa hypopitys (but like the close relation Monotropastrum humile ), the stems bear a single flower 10–20 mm (3⁄8–13⁄16 in) long, with 3–8 translucent petals, 10–12 stamens and a single pistil. [4] [5] [6] [7] It flowers from early summer to early autumn, often a few days after rainfall. The fruit, an oval capsule-like structure, enlarges and becomes upright when the seeds mature. Past maturity the stem and capsule look desiccated, and dark brown or black with a brittle texture.

The seeds of M. uniflora are small, ranging between 0.6–0.8 mm (3⁄128–1⁄32 in) in length. [8] Once the plant has been pollinated, the seeds are pushed through the petals in a tiny slit and dispersed via wind methods.

Unlike most plants, it is white and does not contain chlorophyll. [9] Instead of generating food using the energy from sunlight, it is parasitic, and more specifically a mycoheterotroph. Its hosts are in the Russulaceae family. [9] Most fungi are mycorrhizal, meaning that they grow symbiotically in association with tree roots. Through the fungal web of mycorrhizae, the M. uniflora roots ultimately sap food from where the host fungi are connected to the photosynthetic trees. The clustered node roots of this plant are covered in hairs called cystidium. The cystidia found on these roots allow easy attachment to fungi hyphae, such as can be seen in ectomycorrhiza. [10] Since it is not dependent on sunlight to grow, it can grow in very dark environments like in the understory of dense forests. [11] The complex relationship that allows this plant to grow makes propagation difficult.

Genetics

M. uniflora is found in three general distribution areas: Asia, North America, and Central and northern South America. DNA analysis has shown that these three populations are genetically distinct from one another. [1] Furthermore, the North American population and the Central/South American population appear to be more closely related to each other than either are related to the Asian population.

The species has 48 chromosomes. [12]

Taxonomy

It was formerly classified in the family Monotropaceae, but is now included within the Ericaceae. It is of ephemeral occurrence, depending on the right conditions (moisture after a dry period) to appear full grown within a couple of days.

Ecology

The flowers of M. uniflora are visited by various bee and fly species, most commonly bumblebees. [13] Bumblebees are an important pollen dispersal agent for the plant, crawling into the flower for pollen.

Like most mycoheterotrophic plants, M. uniflora associates with a small range of fungal hosts, all of them members of Russulaceae. [14]

It is often associated with beech trees. [11]

Toxicity

The plant contains glycosides and may be toxic to humans. [15]

Uses

In addition to various reported medical uses, [15] the plant has been used as an anxiolytic in herbal medicine since the late 19th century. [16] This may be due to the plant containing salicylic acid. [17]

Walter H. Prest described the plant as having an asparagus-like flavor once cooked. [18]

Cultural references

M. uniflora has been featured in several pieces from renowned American poet Emily Dickinson. [19]

The Cherokee of North America feature the "pipe plant" in some of their creation stories. The legend states that the plant was named "Indian pipe" due to a group of chiefs quarreling without resolution, while passing a pipe around during the dispute; the Great Spirit then turned the chiefs into the plant, as they should have smoked the sacred pipe after making peace with each other. The plant is said to grow wherever friends have quarreled. [20] [21] [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ericaceae</span> Heather family of flowering plants

The Ericaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the heath or heather family, found most commonly in acidic and infertile growing conditions. The family is large, with c. 4250 known species spread across 124 genera, making it the 14th most species-rich family of flowering plants. The many well known and economically important members of the Ericaceae include the cranberry, blueberry, huckleberry, rhododendron, and various common heaths and heathers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mycorrhiza</span> Fungus-plant symbiotic association

A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant's rhizosphere, its root system. Mycorrhizae play important roles in plant nutrition, soil biology, and soil chemistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russulaceae</span> Family of fungi in the order Russulales

The Russulaceae are a diverse family of fungi in the order Russulales, with roughly 1,900 known species and a worldwide distribution. They comprise the brittlegills and the milk-caps, well-known mushroom-forming fungi that include some edible species. These gilled mushrooms are characterised by the brittle flesh of their fruitbodies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arbuscular mycorrhiza</span> Symbiotic penetrative association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant

An arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) is a type of mycorrhiza in which the symbiont fungus penetrates the cortical cells of the roots of a vascular plant forming arbuscules. Arbuscular mycorrhiza is a type of endomycorrhiza along with ericoid mycorrhiza and orchid mycorrhiza .They are characterized by the formation of unique tree-like structures, the arbuscules. In addition, globular storage structures called vesicles are often encountered.

<i>Pterospora</i> Genus of plants

Pterospora, commonly known as pinedrops, woodland pinedrops, Albany beechdrops, or giant bird's nest is a North American genus in the subfamily Monotropoideae of the heath family, and includes only the species Pterospora andromedea. It grows as a mycoheterotroph in coniferous or mixed forests. It is widespread across much of Canada as well as the western and northeastern United States to northern Mexico. Along with Monotropa it is one of the more frequently encountered genera of the Monotropoideae.

<i>Monotropa hypopitys</i> Species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae

Monotropa hypopitys, the so-called Dutchman's pipe, false beech-drops, pinesap, or yellow bird's-nest, is a herbaceous perennial 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, recent 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.

<i>Russula</i> Genus of fungi

Russula is a very large genus composed of around 750 worldwide species of ectomycorrhizal mushrooms. They are typically common, fairly large, and brightly colored – making them one of the most recognizable genera among mycologists and mushroom collectors. Their distinguishing characteristics include usually brightly coloured caps, a white to dark yellow spore print, brittle, attached gills, an absence of latex, and absence of partial veil or volva tissue on the stem. Microscopically, the genus is characterised by the amyloid ornamented spores and flesh (trama) composed of spherocysts. Members of the related genus Lactarius have similar characteristics but emit a milky latex when their gills are broken. The genus was described by Christian Hendrik Persoon in 1796.

<i>Moneses</i> Genus of flowering plants in the heath family Ericaceae

Moneses uniflora, the one-flowered wintergreen, single delight, wax-flower, shy maiden, star of Bethlehem (Aleutians), St. Olaf's candlestick (Norway), wood nymph, or frog's reading lamp, is a plant of the family of Ericaceae, that is indigenous to moist coniferous forests in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere from Spain to Japan and across North America. It is the sole member of genus Moneses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myco-heterotrophy</span> Symbiotism between certain parasitic plants and fungi

Myco-heterotrophy is a symbiotic relationship between certain kinds of plants and fungi, in which the plant gets all or part of its food from parasitism upon fungi rather than from photosynthesis. A myco-heterotroph is the parasitic plant partner in this relationship. Myco-heterotrophy is considered a kind of cheating relationship and myco-heterotrophs are sometimes informally referred to as "mycorrhizal cheaters". This relationship is sometimes referred to as mycotrophy, though this term is also used for plants that engage in mutualistic mycorrhizal relationships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parasitic plant</span> Type of plant that derives some or all of its nutritional requirements from another living plant

A parasitic plant is a plant that derives some or all of its nutritional requirements from another living plant. They make up about 1% of angiosperms and are found in almost every biome. All parasitic plants develop a specialized organ called the haustorium, which penetrates the host plant, connecting them to the host vasculature – either the xylem, phloem, or both. For example, plants like Striga or Rhinanthus connect only to the xylem, via xylem bridges (xylem-feeding). Alternately, plants like Cuscuta and some members of Orobanche connect to both the xylem and phloem of the host. This provides them with the ability to extract resources from the host. These resources can include water, nitrogen, carbon and/or sugars. Parasitic plants are classified depending on the location where the parasitic plant latches onto the host, the amount of nutrients it requires, and their photosynthetic capability. Some parasitic plants can locate their host plants by detecting volatile chemicals in the air or soil given off by host shoots or roots, respectively. About 4,500 species of parasitic plants in approximately 20 families of flowering plants are known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ericoid mycorrhiza</span> Species of fungus

The ericoid mycorrhiza is a mutualistic relationship formed between members of the plant family Ericaceae and several lineages of mycorrhizal fungi. This symbiosis represents an important adaptation to acidic and nutrient poor soils that species in the Ericaceae typically inhabit, including boreal forests, bogs, and heathlands. Molecular clock estimates suggest that the symbiosis originated approximately 140 million years ago.

<i>Arachnitis</i> Genus of flowering plants

Arachnitis uniflora, the sole species in the genus Arachnitis, is a non-photosynthetic plant species in the family Corsiaceae. This species is mycoheterotrophic, and it obtains carbon from mycorrhizal fungi of the family Glomeraceae which are associated to its roots.

<i>Epipogium aphyllum</i> Species of hardy myco-heterotrophic orchid lacking chlorophyll

Epipogium aphyllum, the ghost orchid, is a hardy mycoheterotrophic orchid lacking chlorophyll. It is one of the rarest representatives of Orchidae family.

<i>Orobanche uniflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Orobanche uniflora, commonly known as one-flowered broomrape, one-flowered cancer root, ghost pipe or naked broomrape, is an annual parasitic herbaceous plant. It is native to much of North America, where it is a parasitic plant, tapping nutrients from many other species of plants, including those in the families Asteraceae and Saxifragaceae and in the genus Sedum. The name "orobanche" can be translated to "vetch-strangler" and "uniflora" can be translated to "single-flower".

<i>Corallorhiza mertensiana</i> Species of orchid

Corallorhiza mertensiana, or Pacific coralroot, is a coralroot orchid native to the shady conifer forests of northwestern North America. It also goes by the common names Western coralroot and Mertens' coralroot. Corallorhiza mertensiana was previously considered a subspecies of Corallorhiza maculata but was given species rank in 1997 by Freudenstein.

<i>Triodanis perfoliata</i> Species of flowering plant

Triodanis perfoliata, the clasping Venus' looking-glass or clasping bellflower, is an annual flowering plant belonging to the family Campanulaceae. It is an annual herb native to North and South America, the natural range extending from Canada to Argentina. It is also naturalized in China, Korea and Australia.

<i>Dipodium variegatum</i> Species of orchid

Dipodium variegatum, commonly known as the slender hyacinth-orchid, or blotched hyacinth-orchid, is a leafless mycoheterotrophic orchid that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It forms mycorrhizal relationships with fungi of the genus Russula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monotropoideae</span> Subfamily of flowering plants in the heather family Ericaceae

Monotropoideae, sometimes referred to as monotropes, are a flowering plant subfamily in the family Ericaceae. Members of this subfamily are notable for their mycoheterotrophic and non-photosynthesizing or achlorophyllous characteristics.

Orchid mycorrhizae are endomycorrhizal fungi which develop symbiotic relationships with the roots and seeds of plants of the family Orchidaceae. Nearly all orchids are myco-heterotrophic at some point in their life cycle. Orchid mycorrhizae are critically important during orchid germination, as an orchid seed has virtually no energy reserve and obtains its carbon from the fungal symbiont.

Rhizopogon amylopogon is a sub-genus of Rhizopogon containing seven species.

References

  1. 1 2 Neyland, Ray; Hennigan, Melissa K. (2004). "A Cladistic analysis of Monotropa uniflora (Ericaceae) inferred from large ribosomal subunit (26S) rRNA gene sequences". Castanea. 69 (4): 265–271. doi:10.2179/0008-7475(2004)069<0265:ACAOMU>2.0.CO;2. S2CID   86010737.
  2. ↑ Sullivan, Steven. K. (2018). "Monotropa uniflora". Wildflower Search. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
  3. ↑ David Matthews "Indian Pipes, Ithaca NY" Archived 2012-09-05 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Klinkenberg, Brian, ed. (2017). "Monotropa uniflora". 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 2018-08-19.
  5. ↑ Giblin, David, ed. (2018). "Monotropa uniflora". WTU Herbarium Image Collection. Burke Museum, University of Washington. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
  6. ↑ "Monotropa uniflora". in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora. Jepson Herbarium; University of California, Berkeley. 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-19.
  7. ↑ "Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) Species Page". www.bio.brandeis.edu. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
  8. ↑ Olson, A. Randall (July 1980). "Seed Morphology of Monotropa Uniflora L. (Ericaceae)". American Journal of Botany. 67 (6): 968–974. doi:10.1002/j.1537-2197.1980.tb07728.x.
  9. 1 2 Fagan, Damian (2019). Wildflowers of Oregon: A Field Guide to Over 400 Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Coast, Cascades, and High Desert. Guilford, CT: FalconGuides. p. 45. ISBN   978-1-4930-3633-2. OCLC   1073035766.
  10. ↑ Massicotte, H. B.; Melville, L. H.; Peterson, R. L. (March 2005). "Structural features of mycorrhizal associations in two members of the Monotropoideae, Monotropa uniflora and Pterospora andromedea". Mycorrhiza. 15 (2): 101–110. doi:10.1007/s00572-004-0305-6. PMID   15490255. S2CID   22755260.
  11. 1 2 "Indian Pipe".
  12. ↑ Maloney, Kathleen; Finocchio, Alfred F. (November 1981). "Chromosomes of Monotropa uniflora". Journal of Heredity. 72 (6): 458. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a109563.
  13. ↑ Klooster, Matthew R.; Culley, Theresa M. (July 2009). "Comparative analysis of the reproductive ecology of Monotropa and Monotropsis : Two mycoheterotrophic genera in the Monotropoideae (Ericaceae)". American Journal of Botany. 96 (7): 1337–1347. doi:10.3732/ajb.0800319. PMID   21628282.
  14. ↑ Yang, S.; Pfister, D. H. (2006). "Monotropa uniflora plants of eastern Massachusetts form mycorrhizae with a diversity of russulacean fungi". Mycologia. 98 (4): 535–540. doi:10.3852/mycologia.98.4.535. PMID   17139846.
  15. 1 2 "Monotropa uniflora Indian Pipe". Plants for a Future . Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  16. ↑ Wickes Felter, Harvey; Uri Lloyd, John (1898). King's American dispensatory (19th 3rd rev ed.). Ohio Valley Co. p.  1277.
  17. ↑ "Monotropa Uniflora". Mayernick Kitchen.
  18. ↑ Bedford, Walter (1905-03-19). Edible Wild Plants of Nova Scotia (11 ed.). Nova Scotian Institute of Science. p. 413.
  19. ↑ Mallonee, Barbara C. (1999). "Leaving Latitude: Emily Dickinson and Indian Pipes". The Georgia Review. 53 (2): 223–244. JSTOR   41401686.
  20. ↑ Arneach, Lloyd. "The Cherokee Story of Indian Pipe". w.sharing.
  21. ↑ Chiltoskey, Mary (2002-01-02). Cherokee Plants: Their Uses - A 400 Year History. Cherokee Publications.
  22. ↑ Arneach, LLoyd (7 September 2017). "Indian Pipe Legend". Backwoods Adventures.
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