Indian pipes rise ghostly from ancient compost of needled tears shed white bells corpse-silent shunning Light’s vital touch sleeping instead in symbiotic beds of gracious hosts, who in turn kiss the feet of living Giants lushly burning gilded rays to fuel their green economy
*Monotropa uniflora*, commonly known as Indian pipe, ghost, or corpse plant, are herbaceous, perennial plants that grow at the base of trees in dense forests with very little sunlight. They feed off fungi that live symbiotically in the roots of trees. A tree’s ability to photosynthesize fuels this small triangle community.
I know – I’m odd. I find these things fascinating. If you’ve never seen an Indian pipe, search it. They are rare and only bloom when conditions are perfectly humid, but when they pop up there is an otherworldliness to them. I’m on a nostalgic mental tour of the flora and fauna of my childhood home and these came to mind. : )