HCCC Nature Center
Non-Green Plants
On the HCCC Nature Center you will find a small collection of non-green plants. Since these plants lack chlorophyll,
which is the reason why they are not green, they are unable to carry out photosynthesis. Therefore these plants must obtain their
food as heterotrophic organisms. In other words, they must obtain their food from other organisms since they cannot manufacture their own.
Some heterotrophic plants obtain their food by parasitism. They depend upon another living plant for their own existence, either by tapping
into the hosts root system or by growing totally within its stems or branches. Other non-green plants obtain their food through a mycorrhizal or
fungal intermediary. The roots of the non-green plant form a symbiotic association with a fungus in the soil, which in turn, forms the same type
of association with another "host" plant. Nutrients are supplied to the non-green plant from the host plant, through the soil fungus.
Beechdrops
Indianpipe
Squawroot
Return to HCCC Herbaeceous Plants
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