Photo of the Day: Common Loon with Fish, Minnesota

 

Photo of the Day: Sea Gull Creek, Gunflint Trail, Minnesota

 

Photo of the Day: Woodland Wildflowers, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Sunset over Poplar Lake, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Fish on the Reef, Cook Islands

Photo of the Day: Swallowtail Butterfly on Prairie Flower, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Hummingbird Nectaring, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Dragonfly, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Broad-winged Hawk, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Ghost Pipe, Minnesota

Monotropa uniflora, also known as ghost plant (or ghost pipe), Indian pipe or corpse plant, is an herbaceous perennial plant native to temperate regions of Asia, North America and northern South America, but with large gaps between areas. The plant is sometimes completely waxy white, but often has black flecks or pale pink coloration.

Unlike most plants, it is white and does not contain chlorophyll. Instead of generating energy from sunlight, it is parasitic, and more specifically a mycoheterotroph. Its hosts are certain fungi that are mycorrhizal with trees, meaning it ultimately gets its energy from photosynthetic trees. Since it is not dependent on sunlight to grow, it can grow in very dark environments as in the understory of dense forest.

Photo of the Day: Grasshopper Eating Dahlia, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Sunlit Tree Frog, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Doe and Fawn Stare, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Mink on Shore, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Green Heron and 2 Chicks, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Hummingbird at Bee Balm, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Monarch on Coneflower, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Young Doe, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Asiatic Lilies, Minnesota

Photo of the Day: Female Mallard with Large Duckling, Minnesota