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Woodland Pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea)

Woodland pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea) is a California-native plant that can be found in red fir and yellow pine high-elevation forests. A close relative of snow plant, pinedrops is a mycoheterotroph which lacks chlorophyll (hence, the absence of green) and relies upon fungi for nutrients. This unique plant is also considered by some to be protocarnivorous; much like sundews, it's adorned with sticky, glandular hairs that trap insects for increased nitrogen absorption.


Woodland pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea), close-up of individual flower. Focus-stacked composite of 72 exposures at 2.5x lifesize. Emerald Bay State Park, Eldorado National Forest, Sierra Nevada, El Dorado County, California, USA.
PLA0714


Woodland pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea). Eldorado National Forest, Sierra Nevada, El Dorado County, California, USA.
PLA0329

Next Plant: Double honeysuckle (Lonicera conjugialis)



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All images copyright Timothy Boomer. All rights reserved worldwide.