#Monotropa | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

snototter · 5 months

Text

Ghost plants (Monotropa uniflora) growing in Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA

by Alan Cressler

#ghost plant #parasitic plants #plants #monotropa uniflora #monotropa #Ericaceae #ericales #plantae #flora: usa

176 notes · View notes

seabeck · 10 months

Text

Parasitic plants

155 notes · View notes

lailoken · 7 months

Text

The Mistreatment of a Sacred Plant

Recently, I had an unpleasant emotional and spiritual shock. I struggle a bit to talk about it because of how upset it makes me, but I feel like the subject matter is important enough to warrant the discussion.

As some may know, one of my dearest plant allies is the Ghost Pipe. I work closely with Monotropes in general, but the Tutelary Spirit of Monotropa Uniflora, in particular, serves as a chief Plant Patron of mine. Part of maintaining this relationship involves visiting a specific location in a devotional capacity, in order to watch, tend, and learn from the population of Ghost Pipes that grow there. I went back to this place not long ago, in order to thank the spectral flowers for lending their power and grace to our Handfasting Ritual, and I was horrified to discover that every one of the colonies I've stewarded over the last few years is completely gone.

They aren't a major food-source for any animals I know of, and this was way more than a die-back, since I recognize what that looks like. What's more, for every colony to have naturally vanished without a trace since the last time I visited was unthinkable. As such, I'm all but sure that someone "Wildcrafted" them to make tinctures for sale. This is absolutely heartbreaking and infuriating, as they have totally misused and abused this sacred plant, and damaged an extremely fragile and unique ecosystem in the process.

The main issue with harvesting Ghost Pipes isn't necessarily that it's rare, though it is in some areas. The real problems are how sensitive they are and how exacting their life cycle is. Sometimes, just touching a Ghost Pipe is enough to damage the plant, disrupt the re-seeding process, and prevent it from growing back. What's worse, the conditions required for the succesful development of these ethereal organisms are extremely specific. Monotropes are Mycoheterotrophs, which derive their energy through mychorizal parasitism. This is to say, they can only get their energy by siphoning it from a small range of subterranean fungi, who in turn, siphon their energy from the roots of certain trees. Between these and other factors, Monotropes are virtually impossible to cultivate or propagate, and they are especially susceptible to the effects of overharvesting. Unfortunately, unethical harvesting has steadily become a real problem in Western Herbalism, where Ghost Pipe tincture is growing in popularity for its mystique and its beautiful violet color. And while it does have a long history of traditional medicinal use as a Nervine, people who aren't getting it purely for its aesthetic qualities are buying it as a miracle cure, without any real understanding of how or why to use it.

I've been muddling through strong feelings of anger, sorrow, and impotence since this happened, and I feel sick thinking about someone out there irreverently peddling this precious medicine under a capitalist guise of "Herbal Wisdom." These sorts of business practices are thoughtless, ecologically unethical, and spiritually blasphemous (as far as I'm concerned). So, I beg you: please think thrice about what you are doing before you harvest a plant. Ask yourself these five questions, and weigh the answers against each other: "Why do I want to harvest this plant?' 'What harm will my behavior cause to this organism?' 'What harm will my behavior cause to this species?' 'What harm will my behavior cause to this ecosystem?' and, 'What will I suffer as a result of not harvesting this plant?

I offer up my most fervent prayers that the seeds I helped to spread earlier in the year will count for something.

#ghost pipes #ghost pipe #monotropes #monotropa #monotropa uniflora #foraging #harvesting #harvest #herbalism #plant magic #plant medicine #nature magic #herbal medicine

128 notes · View notes

wildflowers-of-southern-ontario · 7 months

Text

Pinesap Monotropa hypopitys Ericaceae

Photograph taken on July 21, 2023, at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park, Mono, Ontario, Canada.

#wildflowers of southern ontario #Pinesap #white #Monotropa hypopitys #Monotropa #Ericaceae #wildflowers #flowers #wildflower #flora #Mono Cliffs Provincial Park #Mono #Mono Cliffs #provincial park #Ontario #Canada

17 notes · View notes

bonlynx · 10 months

Text

Otherworldly 🛸

8 notes · View notes

ladymallomonas · 1 year

Text

Люлька духів / Ghost pipe

"Human? Here? How unusual..."

Під'ялинник одноквітковий - біла напівпрозора рослина, що паразитує на грибах родини Сироїжкові. Йому не потрібне сонячне світло, тому може вільно виростати у густих лісах та ще більш темних місцях.

#humanization #flowers #my ocs #український tumblr #украрт #artists on tumblr #monotropa #illustration #ghost pipe #night aesthetic #mystical aesthetic

8 notes · View notes

wenbochenphoto · 1 year

Text

Pinesap/松下兰（#Monotropa hypopitys）. It's a myco-heterotroph, which parasites upon fungi while the fungi form a mycorrhiza with nearby trees. In other words, this plant is an indirect parasite of nearby trees. (Mt. Hehuan, Taiwan)

#floraoftaiwan #pinesap #monotropa #ericaceae #台湾植物 #杜鹃花科 #松下兰 #锡杖花

6 notes · View notes

bonusdragons · 2 years

Photo

September 10, 2022:

Taupe Tertiary, Banescale, Alloy.

Monotropa of botanicaldragon’s clan!

#Taupe Tertiary #Banescale #Alloy Gene #Monotropa #botanicaldragon

7 notes · View notes

transparentgentlemenmarker · 2 years

Text

Tuyau Indien où pipe indienne. Cette plante est fascinnante et unique. La Monotropa uniflora ne dépend pas de la photosynthèse. Elle n'a pas de chlorophylle. C'est de la famille des bleuets. Étonnant non?

cette plante assure sa subsistance en établissant un réseau avec des champignons apparentés connus sous le nom de mycorhizes et les racines de plantes d'arbres qui effectuent la photosynthèse. En bref, ces plantes optimisent leur relation racinaire avec les champignons qui sont uniquement connectés et nourris par la plante verte.

#monotropa #fleurs #plantes #tuyau indien #pipe indienne

7 notes · View notes

weeklythings · 10 days

Text

Monotropa uniflora, ghost plant, ghost pipe, Indian pipe. a toxic flowering plant native to temperate regions of Asia, North America, and northern South America

#flower of the week #flower #flowers #monotropa #monotropa uniflora #ghost plant #ghost pipe #indian pipe

1 note · View note

zegalba · 5 months

Text

monotropa uniflora (ghost plant)

#monotropa uniflora #ghost plant #plants #flowers #nature #white

4K notes · View notes

jckielantern · 11 months

Text

monotropa uniflora

#monotropa uniflora #mycoheterotrophs #fungi #ghost pipe #illustration #sketchbook

641 notes · View notes

lailoken · 10 months

Text

I came across an area rife with colonies of Ghost Pipe beginning to come up for the season, and while there, I found numerous patches of dried pods from last year's growth. Though their seeds were mostly spent, I collected stalks from multiple patches and proceeded to shake out any remaining seed powder they possessed in areas I know will support Monotropa growth. Thereafter, I put them aside for later devotional use.

If I'm lucky, maybe a tenth of what I sowed will take, but even that would be a lovely addition to their population.

#these look like the bouquet of a Victorian goth character #ghost pipes #monotropa #monotropa uniflora #plant worship #animism

26 notes · View notes

wildflowers-of-southern-ontario · 9 months

Photo