Yellow Bird's-nest

Yellow Bird's-nest Monotropa hypopitys, also known as Dutchman's Pipe or Pinesap, is a strange herbaceous plant completely devoid of functional leaves and unlike most plants, containing no chlorophyll. It is a saprophyte, obtaining it's food from decaying organic material in the soil by forming a mycorrhiza (symbiotic relationship) with fungi that have formed a mycorrhiza with nearby trees. In this way the Yellow Bird's-nest is able to feed without the need for photosynthesis. The tiny fleshy plants are between 10cm to 35cm, flowering in woodland from early summer to mid autumn, the small bell-like flowers drooping before becoming erect as the plant begins to fruit. Plants that flower in summer are tinged yellow, whereas those that flower in autumn are coloured pink. I found this lone plant whilst attempting to photograph Narrow-lipped Helleborines on a steep, slippery roadside bank near Princes Risborough. The tiny plant was just peeping through the leaf litter and could have been easily overlooked - in fact I nearly trod on it. I revisited the site a week later and the plant had grown to about 3 cms and I was able to confirm it's I.D and take a few photographs.

Yellow Bird's-nest Monotropa hypopitys (August 2011)