Monotropa uniflora

Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Family:	ERICACEAE
Species:	Monotropa uniflora L.
Common Name:	One Flower Indian Pipe; Corpse Plant; Ghost Plant
Habitat:	Various dry to mesic forests.
Associated Ecological Communities:	**
Growth Habit:	Herb
Duration:	Perennial
Category:	Vascular
USDA Symbol:	MOUN3
Plant Notes:	Indian Pipe is a native achlorophyllous perennial herb in the Heath family (Ericaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Indian Pipe occurs in dry to mesic pine or mixed pine-hardwood forests, in scrub oak woods, in sandhills, and in Longleaf pine forests. Indian Pipe for most of the year exists as short, stubby roots surrounded by and connected to a mass of mycorrhizal fungal hyphae. The fungal hyphae are in turn connected to the roots of conifers. The Indian Pipe obtains sugars produced by photosynthesis in the conifer by way of these fungal connections. So Indian Pipe is a parasite, indirectly parasitizing the conifer by way of the fungal connection. In late summer or autumn 1 to several white or pinkish stems emerge from the soil. These stems are from 1-8 inches in height. The stems are glabrous and have sessile, clasping, rounded scale-like leaves along their length. There is a solitary terminal flower. The flowers are nodding with 5 sepals and 5 petals. The flowers are white or pinkish in color and VERY fragrant. The fruit is a capsule. After pollination, the stem straightens so that the capsule is held erect. The small seed have membranous wings. Indian Pipe is easily damaged. Damaged portions of the plant become black in color. Indian Pipe was the favorite wildflower of poet Emily Dickinson. In 1879 she wrote “'Tis whiter than an Indian Pipe –'Tis dimmer than a Lace –No stature has it, like a Fog when you approach the place –Not any voice imply it here –Or intimate it there –A spirit – how doth it accost-What function hath the Air? This limitless Hyperbole each one of us shall be –'Tis Drama – if Hypothesis it be not Tragedy –!”—A. Diamond.
Taxonomic Notes:	**
Status:	Native, FACU- (NWI)
References:	**

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

Family	ERICACEAE - Heath family
Genus	Monotropa
Species	Monotropa uniflora L. - One Flower Indian Pipe; Corpse Plant; Ghost Plant

Citation

Citation	Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 387–388. 1753.
Basionym:	**
Type:	USA: VIRGINIA: Without data, Kalm s.n. (lectotype: LINN 551.3). Lectotypified by J.L. Reveal, Huntia 7: 228. 1987.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

Synonym	Full Citation	Basionym	Type
Hypopitys uniflora	Hypopitys uniflora (Linnaeus) Crantz, Inst. Rei Herb. 2: 476. 1766.	Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus 1753.
Monotropa coccinea	Monotropa coccinea Zuccarini, Flora 15(2, Beibl.): 100. 1832.		MEXICO: Without data, Karwinsky s.n. (holotype: M
Monotropa coccinea var. mexicana	Monotropa coccinea Zuccarini, var. mexicana Lange, Vidensk. Meddel. Dansk Naturhist. Foren. Kjoebenhavn 7: 119. 1866, nom. inadmiss.	Monotropa coccinea Zuccarini 1832.
Monotropa coccinea var. nicaraguensis	Monotropa coccinea Zuccarini, var. nicaraguensis Lange, Vidensk. Meddel. Dansk Naturhist. Foren. Kjoebenhavn 7: 119. 1866.	NICARAGUA: Without data, Oersted s.n. (holotype: C).
Monotropa humilis Monotropa humilis D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 151. 1			NEPAL
Monotropa morisoniana	Monotropa morisoniana Michaux, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 266. 1803.
Monotropa morisonii	Monotropa morisonii Persoon, Syn. Pl. 1: 469. 1805, nom. illegit.	Monotropa morisoniana Michaux 1803.
Monotropa uniflora var. australis	Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus, var. australis Domin, Sitzungsber. Königl. Böhm. Ges. Wiss. Prag, Math.-Naturwiss. Cl. 1915: 6. 1915.
Monotropa uniflora var. coccinea	Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus, var. coccinea (Zuccarini) Domin, Sitzungsber. Königl. Böhm. Ges. Wiss. Prag, Math.-Naturwiss. Cl. 1915: 5. 1915.	Monotropa coccinea Zuccarini 1832.
Monotropa uniflora var. typica	Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus, var. typica Domin, Sitzungsber. Königl. Böhm. Ges. Wiss. Parg, Math.-Naturwiss. Cl. 1915: 4. 1915, nom. inadmis.	Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus 1753.
Monotropa brittonii	Monotropa brittonii Small, J. New York Bot. Gard. 28: 7. 1927.		FLORIDA: Palm Beach Co.: Near Pompano, 2 Dec 1919, Small et al. 9219 (lectotype: NY; isolectotype: NY). Lectotypified by Wilbur & Luteyn, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 65: 102. 1978.

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clarke, Clay, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Geneva, Hale, Houston, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Macon, Mobile, Monroe, Morgan, Pike, St. Clair, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, Washington

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, JSU, TROY, UNA, USAM, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1949 - 1989

Barcode / Accession No.	County	Coll. Date	Collector & Collection No.	Herbarium & Herbarium Name Used
UWAL0046712	Autauga	18 Jan 2019	Parker, Matthew R. 1867	UWAL Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
JSU121718	Talladega	12 Oct 1969	Green, Mark s.n.	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
AUA000030091	Morgan	6 Sep 2015	England, J. Kevin 5690	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
UNA00013919	Lee	8 Nov 1973	Stevens, A. 220	UNA Monotropa uniflora L.
TROY000007149	Covington	27 Oct 2001	Sasser, Telenna s.n.	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_3701	Lee	3 Oct 1953	Davis, Donald E.	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
AUA000042780	Covington	31 Oct 2011	Pancake, Jr., Dale C. S.N.	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
AUA_ACC_52722	Conecuh	14 Nov 1993	Diamond, Alvin R. 8983	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
UNA00013917	Tuscaloosa	s.d.	Smith, Eugene A. s.n.	UNA Monotropa uniflora L.
TROY000047529	Autauga	04 Nov 2018	Diamond, Alvin R. 28622	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
JSU121717	Monroe	1 Nov 1997	Whetstone, R. David 19053	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
UWAL0030524	Covington	14 Nov 1986	Kral, Robert 73694	UWAL Monotropa uniflora L.
JSU121713	Etowah	2 Oct 1994	Hodge, Lesley M. 3986	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
ALNHS00001744	Dallas	06 Feb 2013	Barger, T. Wayne OC-229	ALNHS Monotropa uniflora L.
JSU140928	Cherokee	05 Oct 1968	Landers, Kenneth E. s.n.	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
UWAL0019295	Pike	28 Oct 2014	Diamond, Alvin R. 25640	UWAL Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
UWAL0005179	Lawrence	24 Jun 2005	England, J. Kevin 423	UWAL Monotropa uniflora L.
AUA_ACC_58462	Fayette	11 Oct 1992	Freeman, John D.	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
UNA00021877	Tuscaloosa	22 Oct 1989	Burckhalter, Robert 1740	UNA Monotropa uniflora L.
JSU121714	Houston	25 Sep 1994	MacDonald, John R. 7789	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
TROY000029369	Coffee	29 Sep 2009	Diamond, Alvin R. 20974	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
UWAL0038374	Clarke	12 Oct 2018	Boone, Meaghan C. 133	UWAL Monotropa uniflora Linneaus
TROY000041907	Pike	28 Oct 2014	Diamond, Alvin R. 25640	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
JSU121709	Cherokee	5 Oct 1968	Landers, Kenneth E. s.n.	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
TROY000048880	Autauga	05 Nov 2018	Parker, Matthew R. 1867	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_51153	Covington	4 Oct 1989	Diamond, Alvin R. 6577	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
JSU121716	Lee	6 Nov 1973	Katzer, G.A. 00214	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
UNA00013915	Hale	08 Oct 1965	Williams, Norris H. 154	UNA Monotropa uniflora L.
AUA_ACC_59456	Crenshaw	5 Nov 1998	Diamond, Alvin R.	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
UNA00034346	Baldwin	27 Nov 1987	Burckhalter, Robert 1305	UNA Monotropa uniflora L.
ALNHS00002478	Colbert	19 Nov 2013	Barger, T. Wayne FH-222	ALNHS Monotropa uniflora L.
AUA_ACC_23077	Lee	30 Oct 1971	Harper, Douglas 142	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
TROY000031951	Butler	07 Nov 2010	Diamond, Alvin R. 21693	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
JSU143585	Calhoun	16 Oct 1973	Landers, Kenneth E. s.n.	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
ALNHS00000134	Houston	25 Sep 1994	MacDonald, J.R. 7789	ALNHS Monotropa uniflora L.
AUA_ACC_50956	Bullock	4 Mar 1990	Diamond, Alvin R. 6676	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
JSU121706	Calhoun	6 Feb 1992	Hutchinson, Francine 105	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
UNA00013916	Tuscaloosa	08 Nov 1980	Williams, John S. 230	UNA Monotropa uniflora L.
JSU121715	Lawrence	17 Sep 1994	Spaulding, Daniel D. 6380	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
UNA00013918	Lee	7 Sep 1980	Latham, B. 14	UNA Monotropa uniflora L.
JSU121719	Talladega	12 Oct 1969	Green, Mark s.n.	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
UWAL0030494	Morgan	06 Sep 2015	England, J. Kevin 5690	UWAL Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
UNA00014621	Mobile	s.d.	Mohr, Charles s.n.	UNA Monotropa uniflora L.
TROY000042196	Pike	24 Oct 2011	Senn, Whitney 95	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
USAM000008613	Mobile	22 Nov 1968	LeLong, Michel G. 4998B	USAM Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_53573	Jackson	20 Sep 1991	Gunn, Scott C. 2108	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
UWAL0001734	Butler	07 Nov 2010	Diamond, Alvin R. 21693	UWAL Monotropa uniflora L.
AUA_ACC_44749	Lawrence	10 Oct 1975	Duke, J.F. 062	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
ALNHS00002529	Monroe	17 Sep 2013	Barger, T. Wayne RH-109	ALNHS Monotropa uniflora L.
USAM000008612	Mobile	19 Oct 1976	LeLong, Michel G. 9628	USAM Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
TROY000004384	Geneva	26 Oct 2002	Peters, Aaron 7	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_57371	Pike	23 Oct 1996	Diamond, Alvin R. 10638	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
UWAL0051264	Clay	28 May 1970	Dean, Blanche E. 269	UWAL Monotropa uniflora
TROY000007151	Dale	23 Feb 1999	Rundell, Hannelore 683	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_3702	Lee	30 Oct 1952	Cunningham, Hugh B.	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
AUA_ACC_44750	Macon	15 Oct 1975	Willis, Stephen F. 118	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
JSU121712	DeKalb	3 Aug 1976	Whetstone, R. David 8806	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
TROY000046485	Crenshaw	23 Nov 2017	Diamond, Alvin R. 28011	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_50926	Escambia	8 Oct 1992	Diamond, Alvin R. 8478	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
TROY000007150	Crenshaw	05 Nov 1998	Diamond, Alvin R. s.n.	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_50130	Pike	17 Oct 1989	Diamond, Alvin R. 6542	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
UWAL0038377	Washington	18 Oct 2018	Younge, Kaleigh M. 2	UWAL Monotropa uniflora Linneaus
JSU121711	DeKalb	1 Oct 1994	Spaulding, Daniel D. 6631	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
TROY000033928	Houston	24 Oct 2011	Counts, Kayla 71	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
JSU121707	Calhoun	16 Oct 1973	Landers, Kenneth E. s.n.	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
UWAL0044220	Baldwin	26 Oct 2001	McArthur, Jill D. 870	UWAL Monotropa uniflora L.
UWAL0043401	Baldwin	26 Oct 2001	Larsen, Harry S. 760	UWAL Monotropa uniflora L.
AUA_ACC_63660	Bibb	27 Oct 2003	Moffett, Jr., J.Mincy	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
USAM000008611	Mobile	09 Jul 1976	LeLong, Michel G. 9273	USAM Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
TROY000033295	St. Clair	11 Oct 2009	Keener, Brian R. 5639	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
UWAL0039590	Crenshaw	23 Nov 2017	Diamond, Alvin R. 28011	UWAL Monotropa uniflora L.
UNA00013914	Lawrence	29 Aug 1949	Segars, Charles B. 146	UNA Monotropa uniflora L.
AUA_ACC_3703	Lee	Nov 1920	Anonymous	AUA Monotropa Uniflora L.
TROY000030912	Lee	03 Oct 1953	Davis, Donald E. s.n.	TROY Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
JSU121708	Calhoun	16 Oct 1973	Landers, Kenneth E. s.n.	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
UWAL0054292	Bibb	24 Oct 2021	Keener, Brian R. 12345	UWAL Monotropa uniflora L.
JSU121705	Calhoun	7 Oct 1994	Ballard, J. Mark 7310	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus
ALNHS00002351	Lauderdale	07 Oct 2013	Peters, Ashley M. SC-459	ALNHS Monotropa uniflora L.
UWAL0005180	St. Clair	11 Oct 2009	Keener, Brian R. 5639	UWAL Monotropa uniflora L.
JSU121710	Clay	28 Sep 1994	Ballard, J. Mark 5077	JSU Monotropa uniflora Linnaeus

View a List of All Ecological Communities

For more information, contact: Brian R. Keener, Ph.D.

Data last modified: 11/9/2024

Web Development: The Florida Center for Community Design + Research

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Citation Information:

Keener, B.R., A.R. Diamond, T.W. Barger, L.J. Davenport, P.G. Davison, S.L. Ginzbarg, C.J. Hansen, D.D. Spaulding, J.K. Triplett, and M. Woods. 2024. Alabama Plant Atlas. [S.M. Landry and K.N. Campbell (original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research. University of South Florida]. University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama.

Data, text, and images licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Monotropa uniflora

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Classification

Citation

Synonyms

Specimens and Distribution