North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, and Trees

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Ericaceae > Monotropsis (Pygmy Pipes)

Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata) Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
Orange Co., NC
6 Apr 2013

Rare in the western half of North Carolina, Pygmy Pipes are parasitic on fungi associated with the roots of pines and apparently Mountain Laurels.

Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata) Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
Orange Co., NC
6 Apr 2013

These plants are quite small, barely reaching a couple of inches in height and easily blending in with leaf litter.

Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata) Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
Orange Co., NC
6 Apr 2013

Pygmy Pipes have a distint aroma, like sweet-smelling cloves. In order to smell this population, however, we had get our noses right up to the flowers. Others report smelling populations of this species way before seeing them.

Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata) Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
Orange Co., NC
6 Apr 2013

Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata) Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
Orange Co., NC
6 Apr 2013

Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata) Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
Orange Co., NC
6 Apr 2013

Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata) Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
Orange Co., NC
6 Apr 2013

Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata) Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
Orange Co., NC
6 Apr 2013

Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata) Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
Orange Co., NC
6 Apr 2013

Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata) Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
Orange Co., NC
6 Apr 2013

This second population at Occoneechee was barely poking through a carpet of moss.

Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata) Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
Orange Co., NC
6 Apr 2013

Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata) Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
Orange Co., NC
6 Apr 2013

Appalachian Pygmy Pipes, Sweet Pinesap (Monotropsis odorata)
Orange Co., NC
6 Apr 2013

Will Cook and Harry LeGrand enjoy the Pygmy Pipes! Note the habitat. Both populations here at Occoneechee Mountain Natural Area were found under Kalmia latifolia, with nary a pine in sight.



Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Common names from personal experience and supplemented by the following resources USDA plants website, Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, and NatureServe.


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Created on ... Apr 6, 2013 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com