INDIAN PIPE 



Monotcopa unifiora L. 



August - September A creation in white wax set anionf]^ the ferns and 

 Woods mosses, the Indian ]>i]ie on a hite snnimer day 



])uts a special (jualily oL' excitement in tlie woods. 

 Devoid of all (olor. the strange, hrittle-hiokinof })ipes stand motionless 

 and nnreal. It is a.^^ if they are spectres fidm another world, <,diost phmt^ 

 of the forest. Xo other colorless plants seem to possess exactly the atmo- 

 sphere of mystery as liidiaii pipe d!)e> in its chosen and unexpected sjiot. 

 The Indians said thai w In iivci- the Indian ]n])e spranjr up, an Indian 

 once paused to shake out the white ashes fmm his pipe. 



Indian ])ipe is a sa|)roi)hytc. not a ])aiasit(^ as are the cancer root 

 and squawroot. It lives on dead material in the j,n'oun(l, usually dead 

 wood huried in the lirh. soft humus of deej) woods. From this there rise 

 the curhHl-over while stalks with their pijie-like hlossoms. The.se are 

 coini)osed of many white. overlap|iinLr scales surroundinj^^ a I'haste, vase- 

 shaped pistil and dark stamens. Thi' sti'ms are ))ure white with a few 

 alternate white scales upon them insteail of h'aves. Indian jjipe has no 

 true leaves and no paitirle of <jreenne.<s. Occasionally there is a hint of 

 pal(^ ])ink or icd in llowcr or stem, hut usually it is that stark, ice-white 

 which, a.s the plant ages, slowly hlackcns. At first only the .scales and 

 parts of the llower are tipped with accents of ehony. Then slowly the 

 ripening llower standi erect and the wliole plant turns hlack. It stands 

 there drying, the hi-own sccmI pod remaining in the original va.^e shape 

 of the pistil, stands all through, tlie autumn and winter, and lasts well 

 into the conung spring. 



21G 



