Monotropa
uniflora, aka Ghost Pipe, aka Indian Pipe. Seen during a hike on a
trail at North Park. While these plants resemble a fungus, they're an
angiosperm (flowering plant), but having evolved to survive on the light deprived forest floor, it lacks chlorophyll to conduct
photosynthesis. Because it can't manufacture its own food by converting sunlight to sugars, it is
instead parasitic, using the mycelium of fungus to glean the nutrients
that they've already broken down. Reportedly used in herbal medicine
for nervous conditions, but I don't know about that.
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