“Ghost Pipes (Monotropa Uniflora): Herbaceous perennial plants native to temperate regions of Asia, North America and northern South America. Their lack of chlorophyll gives them their characteristic translucence which lead to the common names of ghost pipe, corpse plant, ice plant, and ghost flower. These rare heterotrophic plants can grow in near total darkness since, unlike photosynthetic plants, they do not draw nutrients from the sun. They instead pull sustenance from surrounding tree roots and forest brush via mushroom mycelium. This relationship is not symbiotic, it is more parasitic in nature. Though the ghost pipe does not contribute anything of known value back to it’s host, humans have discovered valuable uses for the plant. While the entire plant is technically edible, this is not the best use. Through extraction, M. Uniflora has been found to create an effective pain relieving tincture helping those with both physical and emotional suffering. It is said not to erase the pain entirely, but to put the person beside the pain in a more cognitive sense of acceptance.
These songs are ghost pipes for myself and others.” – Anthony Maintain