I’d wondered what this flower? fungus? forest spook? was whenever I passed it in the forest around Pemberton/Mt Currie, until photographer Jordan Manley solved the mystery for me by posting this shot on his facebook page.

Sometimes called Indian-Pipe or Corpse Plant, the Ghost Flower (Monotropa uniflora) is scarce in occurrence, and does not actually require sunlight. It contains no chlorophyll and gets its energy from photosynthetic trees, via certain fungi.

A specimen found in 1912 along the Pemberton Trail is preserved at the UBC Herbarium.