- Monotropa hypopitys L. - Yellow Bird's-nest - Monotropaceae
© Alan Hill
© Graham Day
(Map updated: March 2008)
This is a strange-looking herbaceous plant of scrubby woodland, totally devoid of functional leaves and of a uniform yellow colour, growing to about ten inches in height. The flowers droop downwards, but become erect in fruit. It is a saprophyte, which means it feeds on decaying organic material in the soil, probably using fungi as an intermediate means of digestion of the food matter.
This plant is rather rare in Northern Ireland generally and was only recently discovered in County Antrim. Flowers in the latter half of the summer.
All names: Monotropa hypopitys L.; Monotropa hypopitys agg. L.sensu lato
NBN Atlas mapping: Species account : NBN Atlas UK Species Observations database
iNaturalist: Species account : iNaturalist World Species Observations database