RHH's photos with the keyword: pine-drops

Pterospora andromeda is a mycotrophic plant that lives in association with conifer trees. It gets its nourishment not through the process of photosynthesis and is in fact without chlorophyll, but through a symbiotic relationship with a soil fungus that feeds on decaying plant matter. This was photographed along the Madison River in Yellowstone National Park. When we were there this summer they were doing road work at the west entrance and there were huge delays. We took the opportunity to get out of the car and take pictures and were pleased to discover these. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2011/10/yellowstone... ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2012/02/some-saprop...

These are not the same saprophytes I posted a day or two ago. Those were Pinesap, these are Pine-drops, Pterospora andromeda. Like the others, however, they are nearly leafless and without chlorophyll and both belong to the heather family. The flowers are not yet opened, but the picture below shows some of the opened flowers. The photo is my wife's taken along a forest service road in the Cascades north of Mount Rainier. ronaldhanko-orchidhunter.blogspot.com/2012/08/near-greenw...