Glenmere Lake, 08 July 2008

Today, on an afternoon impromptu jaunt, Sybil and Laurel spotted some Indian Pipes at Glenmere Lake, so they called a "get here quick" outing at the Florida Recreation Area. Indian Pipes are plants, but they look like fungi. They are unique plants in that they do not contain chlorophyll. They are parasitic plants (specifically myco-heterotrophic), getting their energy from another living organism. I call them piggyback parasites; they get their energy from another parasite that gets its energy from the host. Fascinating! Indian Pipe hosts are certain fungi that are symbiotic (specifically mycorrhizal) with trees. Mycorrhizal describes the specific give-and-take relationship of a fungus and the roots of plants. The fungus gets specific carbohydrate foods from the plant, and in return provides the plant a broader surface area from which to absorb water and nutrients. These ghostly plants are beautiful, and usually come in white and a pale pink. We spotted a bluish-purple variety and took tons of photographs. On our way back to the picnic tables we picked a few lowbush blueberries and saw a golden-yellow fungus peeking out of the dirt. We then sat at the edge of the lake and enjoyed our snack.