Non-Green Plants (2013)

#1

Post by sillybilly » Fri, Oct 25, 2019, 8:19 AM UTC

Non-Green Plants (2013)
plantsandprejudice.wordpress.com

Re: Non-Green Plants (2013)

#2

Post by pierrec » Fri, Oct 25, 2019, 2:13 PM UTC

I remember seeing quite a bit of disturbing imagery when researching mycotrophic plants (which get nutrients from soil fungi and frequently don't have any cholrophyll). Maybe it's because they lack the usual green and leafy identifying features of plants. Some of them are bordering on the nightmarish.

Hydnora africana is mentioned in the article: https://www.google.com/search?q=Hydnora+africana&tbm=isch

Monotropa uniflora: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/49477-Monotropa-uniflora

Re: Non-Green Plants (2013)

#3

Post by antx » Fri, Oct 25, 2019, 2:16 PM UTC

Another example is the "Indian pipe", Monotropa_uniflora. It's completely white, and very beautiful. It is a myco-heterotroph, getting its food through parasitism upon fungi rather than photosynthesis.

Re: Non-Green Plants (2013)

#4

Post by pvaldes » Fri, Oct 25, 2019, 4:22 PM UTC

pierrec wrote: post #2

I remember seeing quite a bit of disturbing imagery when researching mycotrophic plants (which get nutrients from soil fungi and frequently don't have any cholrophyll). Maybe it's because they lack the usual green and leafy identifying features of plants. Some of them are bordering on the nightmarish. Hydnora africana is mentioned in the article: https://www.google.com/search?q=Hydnora+africana&tbm=isch Monotropa uni…

Hydnora had an obvious influence in Dune, IMAO

Re: Non-Green Plants (2013)

#5

Post by pierrec » Fri, Oct 25, 2019, 4:23 PM UTC

pierrec wrote: post #2

I remember seeing quite a bit of disturbing imagery when researching mycotrophic plants (which get nutrients from soil fungi and frequently don't have any cholrophyll). Maybe it's because they lack the usual green and leafy identifying features of plants. Some of them are bordering on the nightmarish. Hydnora africana is mentioned in the article: https://www.google.com/search?q=Hydnora+africana&tbm=isch Monotropa uni…

For some reason, I just made the connection to the flowers of Minas Morgul, whose description I always loved. Now I can confirm, there are definitely some mycotrophic plants on the foothills of Mordor:

"Wide flats lay on either bank, shadowy meads filled with pale white flowers. Luminous these were too, beautiful and yet horrible of shape, like the demented forms in an uneasy dream; and they gave forth a faint sickening charnel-smell; an odour of rottenness filled the air."

Re: Non-Green Plants (2013)

#6

Post by Merrill » Fri, Oct 25, 2019, 4:33 PM UTC

On the other hand, there are non-plants that are green and have chloroplasts. I cultured them from pond water in high school Biology. Interesting creatures.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euglena

Re: Non-Green Plants (2013)

#7

Post by dmm10 » Fri, Oct 25, 2019, 5:09 PM UTC

Squawroot is another oddly beautiful parasitic plant. It relies on the roots of living trees for sustenance.

Re: Non-Green Plants (2013)

#8

Post by undersuit » Fri, Oct 25, 2019, 5:24 PM UTC

White asparagus are just sprouts that have never seen the sun.

Re: Non-Green Plants (2013)

#9

Post by daveslash » Fri, Oct 25, 2019, 5:30 PM UTC

After moving to Southern California I stumbled across these while hiking in the mountains. At first I was sure that they were a fungus. Turns out, they're a plant. Red, parasitic, plants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcodes

Edit: Another similar plant which grow all around where I grew up in Maine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotropa_uniflora

Re: Non-Green Plants (2013)

#10

Post by sarah2079 » Fri, Oct 25, 2019, 6:45 PM UTC

Here's an interesting parasitic plant that you can find in the Bay Area:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuscuta_californica

It's so bright orange that at first I wondered if it was spray paint left behind from construction. There's loads of it around the Bay Trail behind Google.