Indian Pipe, Monotropa Uniflora

Day 268: Without a doubt, this year has been an exceptional one for botanizing. In the process of scouting out uncommon mycoheterotrophs and orchids earlier in the season, I discovered a number of colonies of Indian Pipe just starting to emerge through the forest duff, little buttons of white among the fall of needles and twigs. I've been watching them closely for six weeks or more, waiting for their ghostly pale "shepherd's crook" heads to lift and open. A solitary flower hides inside each shroud, a yellow eye, its glance downcast in demure grace.

Also called "Corpse Plant," Monotropa uniflora is not a common species, but neither is it rare. What is rare, however, is to see more than a few in any given area. Here, within the space of a few acres of hillside, there are dozens of colonies...dozens, perhaps even a hundred or more clusters have popped up, most showing 20-30 stems in a grouping. I have never seen them so lush! Is their abundance due to an increase in the fungal cooperator in this mycoheterotrophic relationship? I believe that may be a substantial contributing factor, based on my observation of other mycoheterotrophic species this year.