ESSEX   BOTANY   AND   MYCOLOGY  GROUPS 

Essex status: Native.

Formerly regarded as  a saprophyte capable of breaking down decaying plant matter, this achlorophyllous, ericaceous  perennial has now been shown to be parasitic on Tricholoma fungi, and is thus said to be 'mycotrophic' or 'epiparasitic'. It somehow fools the fungus into forming an ectomycorrhizal relationship and then downloads its carbon source from the host tree that is normally associated with the Tricholoma, via the fungal mycelium. When growing under Salix caprea and S. repens in the U.K. this has been shown using DNA analysis to be T. cingulatum, whereas when growing under pines there is high fidelity for T. terreum (Leake et al 2004). The American Monotropa uniflora (Indian Pipe or Ghost Plant) similarly parasitises species of Russula and Lactarius.

M. hypopitys is found in leaf litter in shady woodland, typically under Fagus (but also under Corylus) in calcareous sites; or in association with Salix repens on dune slacks; or under Pinus on acid soils (Atlas of British Flora 2004). Subspecies hypophegea with 16 chromosomes and with a glabrous ovary is probably our Essex plant, whereas ssp. hypopitys normally has a hairy ovary and 48 chromosmes, but morphology is a poor judge. - our plant has still to have its chromosome number checked. [Only a handful of specimens in the U.K. have had their chromosome number checked to date]. In Essex it has been found under Beech and Hawthorn (Epping Forest) and under Salix cinerea (Grays Chalk Quarry). Although it is only known from the latter site at the present time, it probably still occurs in its other Essex sites and has been overlooked. Drastic decline nationally, 130 10km squares lost prior to 1986. Seen in c.103 since 1987. Now included on the national BAP list (2007). 

All Essex records: