''Hemitomes'' is a monotypic genus of plants containing the single species ''Hemitomes congestum'', which is known as gnome plant and cone plant. This rare and unusual plant is native to the west coast of North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows in dense, dark forests such as the

redwood Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affini ...

and

Douglas fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three va ...

forests of the region. This is small, fleshy, stemless perennial plant forming lumps in the leaf litter. It is white, yellowish, or reddish-pink in color. Little is known about the life cycle of the plant due to its rarity, but it probably obtains its nutrients by

parasitizing Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...

fungi, so it lacks the green of

chlorophyll Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words , ("pale green") and , ("leaf"). Chlorophyll allow plants to a ...

.Botanical Society of America: Parasitic Plants
/ref> It grows from a

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

with fragile roots and its form is covered in sparse scales which are the rudimentary leaves. An inflorescence emerges on a thick stalk from the soil bearing solitary to densely bunched flowers. The flowers have ragged yellowish or pinkish petals and contain hairs and large rounded yellow stigmas. The fruit is a fleshy white

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

Distribution

The native range of this species is W. Canada to California. It is a holomycotrophic perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Description

Hemitomes congestum is a chlorophyll-less, myco-heterotrophic herb. Their roots are fibrous, the shoot and inflorescence axis that sprouts from them is upright and creamy white to reddish. The leaves are simple, bracteoles are absent. The inflorescence is one to multiple flowers, branching is possible. The flowers are four, rarely up to sixfold, sepals and bracteoles are present. The crown is tubular to bell-shaped, the petals are fused together. The stamens are about two-thirds as long as the crown, the anthers do not turn and are slotted lengthwise. The stylus is permanent, the stigma widened. The ovary is eightfold and has parietal placentation. The fruit is berry-like, the seeds are elliptical and thick-skinned.

References

External links

''Hemitomes congestum''
at th
''Encyclopedia of Life''''Hemitomes congestum''
at th
''US Forest Service''''Hemitomes congestum''
at the onlin
''Flora of North America''''Hemitomes congestum''
photos a
''CalPhotos''
by the University of California, Berkeley
''Hemitomes congestum''
at the online ''Jepson Manual - Vascular Plants of California (1993)''
''Hemitomes congestum''
USDA Plants Profile Monotropoideae Monotypic Ericaceae genera Flora of Northern America {{Ericaceae-stub