6o 
THE GARDEN OF THE WORLD 
where they soak up the food the tree has made 
for its own use. The mistletoe, however, is not 
entirely a bandit for its leaves are a dull green. 
This means that it does make a little of its own 
food, but it steals the moisture which it uses 
from the tree instead of absorbing it from the 
earth as the tree does. 
The most interesting of the pirate plants is 
the Indian Pipe. This little plant is found 
growing in damp, shady places in the woods 
where the leaf mold is very thick and black. It 
is only a small plant, six or eight inches tall, but 
it sometimes startles one because it is so white 
and ghostlike. It is colorless, cold-looking, and 
clammy to feel. It has not one speck of honest 
green color but it does have a ghostly charm. It 
has tall, straight stems and flowers that bend 
over at the top, giving it a shape something like 
the pipes the Indians used for smoking. It lives 
on the juices of living plants or the decaying 
matter of dead ones. Because it does not work, 
it does not need sunshine and is found in the 
darkest places. It is easily seen because its 
