Mycoheterotrophs and other strangers

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I made it out this morning for my weekly gull nest survey. A few surprises, including a new nest location I’ve never seen before. I’ll try and have a post up in a day or two about it. Until then, here’s a collection of recent photos of some curious plants, slime moulds, fungi, and a wasp.

Monotropa uniflora

A recent tip from a friend got me out in search of Monotropa uniflora, also know as Ghost Pipe. These are some weirdo plants that have given up their chlorophyll and can no longer photosynthesize. Instead, they are mycoheterotrophic – they parasitize fungus to obtain the nutrients and energy they need to grow.

Monotropa on

Mycoheterotrophs and other strangers

Monotropa uniflora