One-flower Indian-pipe

Images

Click on image to view full size

One-flower Indian-pipe

One-flower Indian-pipe

One-flower Indian-pipe

One-flower Indian-pipe

Morphology

Stem

Plants without chlorophyll, fleshy, appearing waxy.

Leaves

Absent

Inflorescence

Terminal, axis white, turning black on drying, often persisting into next growing season; flowers solitary. Pedicels nodding in flower, erect in fruit.

Flower

White, turning black at maturity, .5 to .8 inch: sepals (3-)5(-6), distinct, lanceolate to oblong, .28 to .4 inch long, .16 to .24 inch wide; petals (3-)5(-6), distinct, obovate to oblong, .4 to .8 inch long, .2 to .6 inch wide, base slightly sac-like; corolla urn-shaped or narrowly bell-shaped; stamens 8-14, stamen filaments glabrous or minutely pubescent; pistil 1; style 1; stigma 1, funnelform.

Fruit

Capsule, erect, broadly ellipsoid, .28 to .43 inch long, .2 to .5 inch wide; seeds 100+, brown or orange, .02 to .04 inch.

Ecology

Habitat

Moist, rich humus of oak-hickory forests

Distribution

East 1/5 of Kansas

Practical Information

Uses

The Cherokee rubbed the crushed plant on bunions or warts.

Additional Notes