Botany picture #16: Monotropa uniflora

Monotropa uniflora, Canada, 2012. These plants are entirely without chlorophyll and so, in contrast to most plants, they cannot get their energy from photosynthesis. Instead, they parasitize on mycorrhizal fungi in the forest floor. Due to this aberrant lifestyle and its herbaceous habit, Monotropa was traditionally placed in a separate family, but it is now considered part of the heath family Ericaceae.