Monotropsis

Monotropsis
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Subfamily:	Monotropoideae
Tribe:	Monotropeae
Genus:	Monotropsis Schwein. ex Elliott
Species:	M. odorata
Binomial name
Monotropsis odorata Schwein. ex Elliot
Synonyms
SchweinitziaElliott ex Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 2(Add.): 14 (1818), nom. superfl. CryptophilaW.Wolf, Amer. Midl. Naturalist 8: 115 (1922) [1]

Monotropsis is a monotypic genus of plants containing the single species Monotropsis odorata, also known as sweet pinesap or pygmy pipes. It is a member of the subfamily Monotropoideae of the family Ericaceae. It is found in the states of Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, ^[1] and is native to the Appalachian Mountains in the south-eastern United States. It is viewed as being uncommon throughout its range.

Like all members of the subfamily, Monotropsis odorata does not contain chlorophyll; it is a myco-heterotroph, getting its food through parasitism upon fungi rather than photosynthesis. These fungi form a mycorrhiza with nearby tree species.

Monotropsis odorata has a sweet smell which has been likened to nutmeg, cinnamon or violets.

References

1. "Monotropsis Schwein. ex Elliott | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 22 October 2022.

External links

• US Forest Service, Thieves from the Heath - Mycotrophic Wildflowers: Monotropsis odorata – Sweet Pinesap

Media related to Monotropsis odorata at Wikimedia Commons