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Pinesaps (Hypopitys monotropa) are foliageless forest wildflowers, native to the Northwest. They are classified as a saprophyte, which is more or less a nice way of saying that they are parasitic plants. The difference being that instead of attaching themselves to the above ground parts of a plant, they "sap" energy from the roots of the Pine or other conifer under which they live. They are very demanding in regard where they will live and are generally only found growing at elevations between 1500 and 2500 feet. The name Hypopitys comes from Greek hypos (beneath) and pitys (tree) Botanically, monotropa, indicates that all of the flowers face the same direction.
bbbbbbbbb Posts: 11227 | From: Cedar Hill Washington | Registered: Aug 2002
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They look kind of strange to me, like something you'd see in a sci-fi movie growing up out of the earth....Thanks for the lesson on them....never heard of them, but it's cool to learn about new plants....
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OH OH....... I inadvertently seem to have given Pinesaps a bad rep, which must be rectified! These pretty little 6 inch flowers are extremely rare, and certainly do no harm to the hundred foot trees that they live under. When you are wandering in the woods and are lucky enough to find a group of Pinesaps, it is definately an ooooooohhhhh ahhhhhh!!!! and not an OH NO!
bbbbbbbbb Posts: 11227 | From: Cedar Hill Washington | Registered: Aug 2002
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