Al Schneider's Rocky Mountains Plant Descriptions

Woodland Pinedrops
Pterospora andromedea
Heather family (Ericaceae)

Pinedrops are found conspicuously standing in the greens and browns of the forest floor. They are unable to photosynthesize and are parasites, living off fungi. Pinedrops obtain their nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi associated with coniferous tree roots. Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) and Pinesap (Monotropa hypopitys) are other parasites that have white fleshy stems that become black with age. All of these plants were thought to be saprophytes living off decaying organic matter. It has now been established that there are no saprophytic plants. They are all , living off of fungi which in turn are parasites on living and non-living material. "Pterospora" is Greek for "winged seeds." "Andro" is Greek for "male" and "medea" for "genitals."


©2011 Walter Siegmund

Description

Upright , 6-44" tall, with yellow, pliable stems when very young and then red-brown, stiff, unbranched stems. Leaves 2/5 to 1 2/5" long, thick, to , crowded near base of stem. Flowers pale yellow, vase-shaped on curved stalks pointing down. and reduced to along stem. are spherical .

Field Marks

Fleshy of pale yellow/cream, pendant, vase-shaped flowers.

© Al Schneider

scale -- A very small leaf around a dormant bud. Also other things that might remind one of fish scales on the surface of ferns, stems and the like.

A perennial plant lives and blooms for many years.

A herb is a plant whose stems die back to the ground in the winter.

A parasitic plant derives some or all of its nutritional requirements from another living plant.

capsule -- a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. In most cases the capsule splits apart to release seeds.

fruit -- any seed-bearing structure in flowering plants. It is formed from the ovary after flowering.

linear-lanceolate -- Elongate and exceedingly narrow with the sides more or less straight but gradually becomming broader near the base.

leaves alternate along the main stem and are attached singly.

A spike is an unbranched, indeterminate inflorescence in which the flowers are without stalks.

lanceolate -- Lance-shaped. Long, wider in the middle.