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Name: Brittany
Status: student
Age: 16
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: Monday, December 02, 2002
Question:
I am doing a paper over Indian Pipes. Every site that I have been to says that they do not go through photosynthesis, and that they do not have chlorophyll. However, one of the questions that I am supposed to answer, asks how they capture light energy to complete processes like photosynthesis. I am having trouble finding the answer to this question. I would appreciate your help. Thank you, Britt

Replies:
You have found correct information, indian pipes are flowering plants that do not have chlorophyll and do not produce sugar by photosynthesis. Like other living things that do not photosynthesise (animals, fungi, etc.), they use nutrients that were created by some other organism by photosynthesis.

J. Elliott

Indian pipes (members of the genus Monotropa) do not have chlorophyll, are not photosynthetic, but instead are parasitic. The following might be helpful:

http://www.ilmyco.gen.chicago.il.us/ima/Terms/contr101.html

Anthony R. Brach, Ph.D.


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