picture from previous question

it could be a parasitic orchid. we have the birds nest orchid in britain. could you get a close up of the 'bell' structure?
I am really curious as to what it is.

Monotrope uniflora

http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS284US284&newwindow=1&sa=1&q=Monotrope+uniflora&btnG=Search+images&aq=f&oq=indian+pipe

at least i was right about it being parasitic. how unusual. also quite scare apparently. lucky you.

I'm fascinated. Can anyone explain how it lives? Whether it has a symbiosis, etc?

Thank you Rugbyhukr, I clicked on your link (cut & paste into browser), and from there back to a few other sites. Very impressed at how quickly you identified these. Thank you.

Seaburn girl, yes they are spooky-looking. I decided to try to identify them online, but got very frustrated as my botanical knowledge is pathetic, no idea how to search by only color and size.
Thank you all for your interest and help.
J

its a parasite jonathan. so no symbiosis going on, so its roots tap into the roots of the host plant. nutrients enough for its needs are taken and it flourishes. I'll have a look to see what its particular host is as i am curious.

it parasitises on a fungus that is in symbiosis with a tree by all accounts.

It is absolutely amazing. Weird and beautiful. Thank you for the information.

Jonathanhales and Seabirdgirl, Among the many academic links I clicked on from the photos in the link Rugbyhukr sent, the one below from a blogger living in the Boston area spoke to the local weather issues as being a factor on the "bumper crop" this year. Hope you won't have trouble copying and pasting it from this little box. Regards, Jan

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/cottonmanifesto/Jef2/riverway070706.jpg&imgrefurl=http://urbpan.livejournal.com/tag/indian%2Bpipe&usg=__iLO1Syp_InRrQaA-XBqfWuBVs6s=&h=338&w=450&sz=126&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=SCIlfh5AUgsgFM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3DMonotrope%2Buniflora%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1B3GGGL_enUS284US284%26sa%3DG%26newwindow%3D1