Plant · GBIF taxon 2888342
Hypopitys monotropa
Hypopitys monotropaAlso known as Yellow Bird's Nest, Pinesap, False Beechdrops
Pinesap emerges from woodland leaf litter as a pale yellow to reddish stem completely devoid of green chlorophyll. Instead of using sunlight, it obtains all its energy by tapping into mycorrhizal fungi that connect to nearby pine, fir, or beech trees. Each nodding cluster of bell-shaped flowers matures into an upright seed capsule, emitting a faint fragrance resembling lemon or cinnamon.
MycoheterotrophNon-PhotosyntheticWoodland Plant
Licensed referenceLeonhard Lenz / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Tricholoma Fungi
- Mycorrhizal Carbon
- Tree Sugars
Predators
- Slugs
- Forest Rodents
- White-tailed Deer
ThreatsForest fragmentation, soil disturbance, clearcutting
HabitatsConiferous, deciduous, and mixed temperate forests
Life spanPerennial
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderEricales
- FamilyEricaceae
- GenusHypopitys
- SpeciesHypopitys monotropa
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Look for clusters of succulent yellow, cream, or reddish stems pushing up through deep needle or leaf litter.
- Support conservation
- Walk carefully on established forest trails to avoid crushing underground shoots and damaging mycorrhizal soil layers.
Responsible observation
- Spotting: Look around the bases of pine and beech trees during mid-to-late summer.
- Ethical Viewing: Leave stems intact, as picking them destroys delicate underground root connections.
- Habitat Care: Avoid compacting forest litter where subterranean fungal networks reside.
Fungal Host (c) TonyT, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
Family Member (c) Yves Bas, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Yves Bas · cc-by
Family Member (c) Roberto Daniel Avila, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Roberto Daniel Avila · cc-by
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