indian pipe

English - English

Definition of indian pipe in English English dictionary: small waxy white or pinkish-white saprophytic woodland plant having scalelike leaves and a nodding flower; turns black with age; A waxy white or sometimes pinkish saprophytic woodland plant (Monotropa uniflora) having scalelike leaves and a solitary nodding flower. Nongreen herbaceous plant (Monotropa uniflora) that is saprophytic (living on the remains of dead plants). Clusters grow in moist, shady, wooded areas of North America and Asia. The entire plant is white or grayish, occasionally pink, and turns black as it dries out. A single odourless, cup-shaped flower droops from the tip of a stalk 6-10 in. (15-25 cm) tall. The leaves, which lack chlorophyll and do not perform photosynthesis, are small scales. The name reflects the resemblance of this plant to a miniature Indian peace pipe with its stem stuck in the ground

indian pipe