Indian Pipes

These wonderful beauties popped up just the other day.  I knew I needed to take a picture immediately even though I had more timely blog material.  The deer think they are delicious!  Sure enough, today they are all "gone."

Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora)

I had originally thought that Indian Pipes and Pinesaps (Monotropa hypopitys) were the same thing, but have learned that although they share many traits: both are herbaceous plants that do not contain chlorophyll and are parasitic, the Pinesap has multiple flowers on each stalk. I also thought they were Pinesaps since they are in the pine forest here, but they both like that kind of home.

More info?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotropa_uniflora 

These Indian Pipes intrigue me because they bend the "rules" of what makes something a herbaceous plant versus a fungus. I am always amazed at the diversity of this Universe!