What is this?

We picked these thinking that they were mushrooms. They were growing by themselves out of the ground with no other plants growing nearby. Upon further examination by opening one of the tops, we could see that they are definitely flowers. We are curious what kind though.
We live in the foothills of the Southern Appalachians.

 

Monotropa uniflora. A non-photosynthetic flowering plant.

 

Common name here is Indian-pipe. Also a saprophyte. Does saprophyte and non-photosynthetic go together? I'm trying to think of some green saprophytes, but can't come up with any.

 

Technically, it's a mycoheterotroph (parasitic on fungi), not a saprophyte.

 

Interesting.

 

WOW, never seen anything like it

 

I've seen em here in Michigan with a little red or pink coloring and they're very freaky looking.
Once, when I picked one or two and looked at them later, they had already decayed. I felt as though I instantly killed them. It was weird how fast it wilted and broke down.
Gil

 

We have similare plants here in Sweden....Monotropa hypopitys grows around in my forest....Jonny

 

The latter is the one with reddish or yellowish coloring. It grows over here, too.