Day 269: While exploring a new trail in Gifford Pinchot National Forest yesterday, I came across several very dense pockets of Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora). After a little hunting, I found its mycoheterotrophic ally, a species of Russula. Mycoheterotrophic plants depend on a fungal component in the soil to break down nutrients into a form they can utilize. Some mycoheterotrophic species are more selective than others and may ally with only one or two fungal species while others are content to partner with an entire family of fungi. This is one factor to consider when searching for mycoheterotrophic plants: "Fyrst finde ye an fungus..."
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