Monotropa hypopithysL. Yellow pine-sap

Monotropa hypopithysL. - Yellow pine-sap

Scientific Description:

Dirty-white herb to 26 cm; stem glabrous or pubescent in upper part. Leaves ligulate, c. 1.5 cm, rather crowded at base of stem. Inflorescence racemose secund at first, 3−12-flowered, flowers congested; pedicel 6−10 mm; bracts ovate to 2 cm. Flowers 4−5-merous; calyx and corolla 0.8−1.7 cm, whitish or yellowish, petals saccate at base and ± keeled at top, glabrous or with stiff hairs inside. Stamens 8 or 10, filaments 8−10 mm, glabrous or not, anthers c. 2 mm. Ovary 4−5-locular, glabrous or not; style impressed, 1.5−3.5 mm, glabrous or not, stigma capitate.

Flowering time: June−July.

Habitat: Valley sides in Pinus L., Abies L. and Quercus L. forests, 540−1800 m.

Reference:

Stevens PF (1978). Monotropa hypopithys L., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 6: 107.

Public Description:

Monotropa hypopitys, commonly known as “yellow pine-sap” or “pinesap”, spreads in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, but is often scarce or rare. All parts of the plant are fleshy and pale yellowish white coloured. The pinesap is a parasitic plant because it does not include chlorophyll, and is usually take nutrients through fungi. Thus they can live in the dark conditions of deep forests, because they do not need any sunlight at all.

References:

Anonymous 1 (2017). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotropa_hypopitys,Accessed date: 22.08.2017.

Anonymous 2 (2017). https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/search/?q=monotropa+hypopithys,Accessed date: 22.08.2017.

Terzioğlu S (2012). Monotropa L., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 411–412.