NATIVE WILD FLOWERS 



INDIAN PIPE Monotropa uniflora (L.). 



This singular plant has many names, such as Wood Snow- 

 drop, Corpse-plant, and Indian Pipe. The plant is perfectly 

 colorless from root to flower, of a pellucid texture and seini- 

 transparent whiteness. There are no green leaves, but 

 instead broad and pointed scales, clasping the rather thick 

 stem, which is terminated by one snowy-white flower. The 

 flower, when first appearing, is turned to one side and bent 

 downwards, but becomes erect as it expands its silvery 

 petals: these are five in number; stamens from eight to 

 ten; stigma about five-rayed; seed vessel an ovoid pod 

 with from eight to ten grooves; seed small and numerous. 

 Though so purely white when growing, the whole plant 

 turns perfectly black when dried; even a few minutes after 

 they are gathered, as if shrinking from the pollution of the 

 human hand, they rapidly lose their silvery whiteness and 

 become unsightly. To see this curious flower in its perfec- 

 tion you must seek it in its forest haunts, under the shade 

 of beech and maple woods, where the soil is black and rich; 

 there, among decaying vegetables, grows this flower of snowy 

 whiteness. 



There are two species of the family. In a hemlock wood 

 I found the equally singular 



PINE SAP Monotropa Hypopitys (L.), 



a tawny-colored, scaled, leafless species, with several flowers, 

 covered with soft pale yellowish-brown wool, fragrant, and 

 full of honey, which fell from the flower cups in heavy 

 luscious drops. This plant is of rather rare occurrence; 

 it is found here only in pine or hemlock woods, though 

 Gray speaks of it as common in oak and pine woods. 



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