Ghost Flowers, and Other Fungis and Fungals

For several days we were utterly captivated by these two Ghost Flowers (not, we hasten to assure, in a ball and chains sort of way). We had never set eyes on such improbable plants before, and felt quite like we had stumbled upon Another World. Although they appeared to be flowers, however, our Rational Minds told us they were surely some sort of Fungi (or Fungal), and we made haste to arrange to attend the very next meeting of the Northwest Mycological Association in eager hope of having the particular species identified.

By that time we had a very nice selection of photographs of various other mushroom types (more to follow), and we had even found a very helpful field guide for identification. It could not, however, give a clue as to the true identity of our Ghost Flowers, and we began to despair that we had made them up since by that time they had gone by, as our friend's former boyfriend used to so pleasantly put it.

You can imagine our surprise at the aforementioned upcoming meeting, then, when we were informed our Ghost Flowers were not in the mushroom family at all, and were instead a type of flower called... Ghost Flower! They are also known as Indian Pipe, Corpse Plant (we'll spare you the specifics on the reasons for that particular designation), and Dutchman's Pipe, or, botanically, Monotropa uniflora.

Adding to our general sense of elation was the subsequent discovery that our two flowers had left a lovely legacy behind them, a multitude of offspring. As a general rule we don't recommend being outnumbered by one's offspring (we have always heard one is not enough and two is too many), but here, as in other cases, we are pleased to witness the exceptions.



By the way, the fact of our having made up a name that in fact turned out to be an actual name for the plant we discovered has lent for some Significant Hubris Enlargement on the part of one of us (contact us if you would like further information emailed to you), and we do believe it thus gives credibility to absolutely Every Other Statement we have made heretofore.

We hope you believe the same.