Pityopus
Encyclopedia
Pityopus is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the heath family
containing the single species Pityopus californica, which is known by the common name pinefoot. It is native to the mountains of the west coast of the United States from Washington to California
, where it grows in coniferous
and mixed forest types. It is uncommon throughout its range. This perennial herb is a mycoheterotroph
, parasitizing
fungi
for nutrients. It is cream or white in color, lacking chlorophyll
. It is the smallest mycotroph in the heath family. It produces a fleshy stemless peduncle
above the leaf litter of the forest floor, reaching no more than 10 centimeters tall. It is covered with scale-like leaves, reduced as they do not perform photosynthesis
. The aboveground portion of the plant is essentially just inflorescence
, with 2 to 11 cylindrical white flowers blooming for a short time. The flower has four or five white petals and a hairy throat. It produces a berry
under a centimeter wide containing many seeds. The mature plant has a scent reminiscent of Brie cheese
, which may serve to attract pollinator
s. After fruiting the plant withers away until the following flowering season.
Ericaceae
The Ericaceae, commonly known as the heath or heather family, is a group of mostly calcifuge flowering plants. The family is large, with roughly 4000 species spread across 126 genera, making it the 14th most speciose family of flowering plants...
containing the single species Pityopus californica, which is known by the common name pinefoot. It is native to the mountains of the west coast of the United States from Washington to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in coniferous
Temperate coniferous forests
Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest. In most temperate coniferous forests, evergreen conifers predominate, while some are a mix of conifers and broadleaf evergreen...
and mixed forest types. It is uncommon throughout its range. This perennial herb is a mycoheterotroph
Myco-heterotrophy
Myco-heterotrophy is a symbiotic relationship between certain kinds of plants and fungi, in which the plant gets all or part of its food from parasitism upon fungi rather than from photosynthesis. A myco-heterotroph is the parasitic plant partner in this relationship...
, parasitizing
Parasitic plant
A parasitic plant is one that derives some or all of its sustenance from another plant. About 4,100 species in approximately 19 families of flowering plants are known. Parasitic plants have a modified root, the haustorium, that penetrates the host plant and connects to the xylem, phloem, or...
fungi
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...
for nutrients. It is cream or white in color, lacking chlorophyll
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Its name is derived from the Greek words χλωρος, chloros and φύλλον, phyllon . Chlorophyll is an extremely important biomolecule, critical in photosynthesis, which allows plants to obtain energy from light...
. It is the smallest mycotroph in the heath family. It produces a fleshy stemless peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
above the leaf litter of the forest floor, reaching no more than 10 centimeters tall. It is covered with scale-like leaves, reduced as they do not perform photosynthesis
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a chemical process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight. Photosynthesis occurs in plants, algae, and many species of bacteria, but not in archaea. Photosynthetic organisms are called photoautotrophs, since they can...
. The aboveground portion of the plant is essentially just inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
, with 2 to 11 cylindrical white flowers blooming for a short time. The flower has four or five white petals and a hairy throat. It produces a berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
under a centimeter wide containing many seeds. The mature plant has a scent reminiscent of Brie cheese
Brie
Brie is a historic region of France most famous for its dairy products, especially Brie cheese. It was once divided into two sections ruled by different feudal lords: the western Brie française, corresponding roughly to the modern department of Seine-et-Marne in the Île-de-France region; the...
, which may serve to attract pollinator
Pollinator
A pollinator is the biotic agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain...
s. After fruiting the plant withers away until the following flowering season.