Monotropa

Spruce asparagus ( Monotropa hypopitys )

Monotropa is a genus are made of spruce asparagus plants ( Monotropaceae ), which recently along with the wintergreen family ( Pyrolaceae ) as a subfamily Monotropoideae to the heather family ( Ericaceae ). It contains the species

• Monotropa hypopitys L. (spruce asparagus) and
• Monotropa uniflora L. (Indian pipe, Ghost plans )

Both are spread throughout the cool temperate zones of the northern hemisphere, with M. uniflora is lacking in Europe. As the botanical name suggests, this species is always flowered in contrast to M. hypopitys.

The plants do not contain chlorophyll, but parasitize on their root fungi ( Mykoheterotrophie ). As this same form ectomycorrhizas with trees, shrubs are the source of the forwarded to the Monotropa plants on the common Hyphennetzwerk carbon compounds. This extremely specialized diet is referred to as Epiparasitismus. It enables the individuals of the species Monotropa the occurrence of extremely low-light locations. The typical growth locations are accordingly in damp, shady forests.

Swell

• Entry in the Flora of China. (English )