Friday 2 August 2019

Pine Sap


    Pine Sap is such a terrible name for such a delicate a beautiful plant.   When I hear the words “Pine sap” I think of a crusty blob on the side of a pine tree, not this fragile pinky plant.
    Pine Sap (Hypopitys monotropa) is a saprophyte, meaning it gets all of its nourishment from dead or decaying organic matter.  My relatives pointed this one out as we were strolling through the West Twin Old Growth area.  It is always a treat to discover Pine Sap, and generally I see it growing deep in the mosses of dark Cedar forests.
    It was a surprise to me to discover it is a member of the Heath Family of plants which include the Wintergreens, and not with the fungi, which is what I supposed.

See my photo-realistic paintings:  davidmarchant2.ca

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