This was a new one for me and my daughter on a hike in Golden Ears Parks. Sorry for the terrible image but it was getting dark and we were trying to get to the parking lot before total darkness.
So this is not a fungi but a vascular plant. My observational skills must be failing along with my eyesight. Thank for the identification and after that I googled it and found this link.http://www.macphailwoods.org/indianpipe.html
I suspect the confusion is caused by this plant not being green. Plant = Green in our minds. Fungus = White, brown, red etc. Chlorophyll not needed due to saprophytic biology of this plant. There are quite a few genera of higher plants in BC that range from fully saprophytic to symbiotic. The saprophytes take their nutrients from the host plant, the symbionts have mutual relationships with their partners. This includes many (most? all?) of the wild orchids in Northern N.Am. A recently published paper documents that stressed plants manufacture Aspirin like chemicals. I wonder if these linked plants use it to say "not tonight, please Dear"? gb
Although somewhat sporadic saprophytic flowering plants characteristic of deep coniferous woods here. I've even seen coralroot orchids in a nearby suburban park.
