Monotropa

Monotropa
	Monotropa hypopitys
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Subfamily:	Monotropoideae
Tribe:	Monotropeae
Genus:	Monotropa; L.
Species
	Monotropa brittonii Small; Monotropa coccinea Zucc.; Monotropa hypopitys L.; Monotropa uniflora L.;
Synonyms
	Hypopitys Hill, nom. superfl.; Monotropion St.-Lag., orth. var.;

Monotropa is a genus of four species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants.^[1] The genus was formerly classified in the family Monotropaceae and presently classified in Ericaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and are generally rare. Unlike most plants they do not have chlorophyll and therefore are non-photosynthetic; rather, they are myco-heterotrophs that obtain food through parasitism on subterranean fungi. Because they do not need any sunlight to live, they can live in very dark sites such as the floor of deep forest. The name "Monotropa" is Greek for "one turn" as every plant has one large turn near the top of the plant.