My cousin showed me these things, which I'm calling fungi by default. They're growing at 5500 ft elevation in the mountains around Arnold, CA and under several pine trees. There are two patches and maybe more that haven't surfaced. Pale orange with light stalks, yellow spores at the center of the floweresque parts. It might be a plant, but I don't think so.
Hi Morrigan: These inflorescences are the aerial parts of plants without chlorophyll that live as parasites on the roots of certain plants. Gender could be: 1 - Orobanche. 2 - Neottia. or 3 - Monotropa. Best regards from Majorca: Juan
Thank you. There's something they don't teach in biology. What I found on Orobanche fits this plant. -Morgan
Very beautiful! You should submit these to the Botanical Photo of the Day. Do you have any views from the the ground showing side details?
Hi Morrigan, I'm not in your region but this looks more like Hemitomes to me. I've found a Hemitomes species once, but growing singly, not in a magnificent cluster like this - very beautiful! cheers, frog
Yes, very beautiful. Not Monotropa. Saw some yesterday. Some of these plants (monotropa) are actually parasites of the mycorrhyzal fungus on a tree's roots, and not the tree itself, as was formerly believed.
1. Thank you, C. Wick. The credit goes to the camera and the plant, I'm no photographer. I'll try to submit some pictures with unblurred side views. 2. Frog, I looked up Hemitomes and they are "3-4 cm tall." This one is quite a bit taller and, in my humble opinion, fits the Orobanche description better. Thank you for the suggestion, though, I love reading on these subjects. 3. Thank you, fish dr -Morgan
Hello again Morgan, You may be right, since the Orobanche in my region have comparatively few flowers, and I'm not directly familiar with the Orobanche's in other areas that look more like Hemitomes or (sorta) Boschniakia. But since pre-DNA-study botanical classification is generally by flower parts, your specimen really does look to me like Hemitomes, and the one specimen of same I found was taller than 3cm. There are other Hemitomes-like genera, Pityopus and Pleuricospora and presumably others, but I don't know these from personal experience. If you can find a regional flora it should help sort out what genera possibilities are in your area. hope that is helpful, frog
I didn't expect so many people to give information! It does look and sound like Pleuricospora. My cousin's cat was sniffing around the two patches and jumped away with a hiss. Is the plant poisonous to cats, dogs, small children, etc? If so, what would be the best way to make sure no one eats it? Here are some more pictures. I wish I had a camera that would take close ups of the flowers!
