Monotropa uniflora is the Latin name for the distinctive Indian pipe - which is not a fungus. A bumper crop of the interested plant sprouted after all the recent rains.The plant prefers rich moist woods with plentiful surface leaf litter and it is a relation of the blueberry, laurel and rhododendron.
The saprophyte lives on the decaying roots of other plants, particularly trees, and scientists suspect is also works with soil fungus to gather nutrition (it does not need chlorophyll).
It turns black if bruised and will emit a clear, gelatinous substance when picked.
Other names for the pale plant: "ghost flower" and "corpse plant."
For more details about how it grows see Connecticut Botanical Society at http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/monotropaunif.html.
