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In the primitive forests of the Changbai Mountains in northeast China's Jilin Province, a type of flower that looks like an ice sculpture of a rose grows quietly in the shade.
Ghost plants in forests. /VCG Photo
The entire plant is pale and translucent and usually appears in a nodding position in small or big clusters under forest trees.
Its strange appearance and the fact that it feeds on decayed plants have earned it the name 'ghost plant'.
Ghost plants feed on decayed plants. /VCG Photo
In fact, its white costume is because, unlike other plants with green leaves that absorb nutrients from the sun, the ghost plant gets energy from dead plants through fungus.
Some Chinese fiction fantasizes that the mysterious plant has a deadly poison or a medicine that could bring the dead back to life - but this is not true. The plant is poisonless, but it can be used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat coughing.
Some reports say that the plant is highly vulnerable that upon a single wound, the entire plant will soon go black and wither.
The mysterious plant is fantasized in Chinese novels as either poisonous or magical. /VCG Photo
The plant is widely spread across China with many subspecies. It usually chooses an elevation of about 2,000 meters, blooming in June and July and fruiting in August and September.
Ghost plants bloom in June, July, fruiting in August, September. /VCG Photo
The Changbai Mountains in Jilin Province, with large areas of moist forests, are able to sustain a subspecies called Monotropastrum humile that is distinguished from other subspecies by having some long hair on the inner side of the petals.
China's Flora Tour
From the wetlands along the coast to the dense rainforests hidden in the southwest of China, all boast an array of plant species. In this series, we will go on a tour to learn about some of the most representative flora in different provinces and see how they live in harmony with the local geography and climate.
Read More:
China's Flora Tour: A purple medusa living on the rocky mountain slopes
China's Flora Tour: The panda of plants – goldflower tea
China's Flora Tour: The tall and the small
(Cover image via VCG, designed by CGTN's Yu Peng.)
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com)