Monotropsis
Monotropsis | |
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Conservation status | |
![]() Vulnerable (NatureServe) | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Ericaceae |
Subfamily: | Monotropoideae |
Tribe: | Monotropeae |
Genus: | Monotropsis Schwein. ex Elliott |
Species: | M. odorata |
Binomial name | |
Monotropsis odorata Schwein. ex Elliot | |
Synonyms | |
Schweinitzia Elliott ex Nutt. Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 2(Add.): 14 (1818), nom. superfl. |
Monotropsis is a monotypic genus of plants containing the single species Monotropsis odorata, also known as sweet pinesap or pygmy pipes. It is a member of the subfamily Monotropoideae of the family Ericaceae. It is found in the states of Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia,[1] and is native to the Appalachian Mountains in the south-eastern United States. It is viewed as being uncommon throughout its range.
Like all members of the subfamily, Monotropsis odorata does not contain chlorophyll; it is a myco-heterotroph, getting its food through parasitism upon fungi rather than photosynthesis. These fungi form a mycorrhiza with nearby tree species.
Monotropsis odorata has a sweet smell which has been likened to nutmeg, cinnamon or violets.
References
- ^ a b "Monotropsis Schwein. ex Elliott | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
External links
- US Forest Service, Thieves from the Heath - Mycotrophic Wildflowers: Monotropsis odorata – Sweet Pinesap
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