Many mistakenly believe indian or ghost pipes are a type of fungus, but they are actually a flower, a member of the blueberry family! Since they have no chlorophyll, they are able to grow in the dark woods where I often find single plants or clumps such as this one. Being parasitic, they are able to survive by borrowing nutrients from certain fungi,trees and decaying plant matter.These waxy looking flowers are pollinated by small bumble bees (which I've witnessed once). This grouping I came across while hiking through the woods early in the morning, lit by the sun. It wasn't until I reviewed the photos later that I discovered there was another clump of pipes in the background!