9/24/09 – I spotted this ghostly white flower growing in the shade of black spruce trees during a recent trip through Cherokee Lake. The Indian-pipe flower, monotropa uniflora, grows in deep shade under conifers. It gains nutrients from decaying wood and by latching onto the root systems of living plants, thus, it doesn’t need chlorophyll and grows up white instead of green. Other regional names are ghost flower, corpse plant and ghost pipe. – Lee

Indian-pipe flowers.

A gathering of Indian-pipe flowers, also known as corpse plants.