I is for Indian Pipes and Indian Tobacco

 
Today I have two completely unrelated plants, but with common names that tie them together. It can serve as another illustration of the problems with common names.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people who thinks that common names should be abolished. They are colorful and evocative, but they don't tell us how plants are botanically related.

First we have Indian Pipes, Monotropa uniflora. You can see why they get the name. Each stem looks like a little pipe. These are very common in temperate areas. They used to have their own Family, but they've now been placed in the heath family, due to genetic testing. Each stalk has one flower.

They have no cholorophyll, and are parasites of fungus. You'll find them in rich dark woods.



Of course, you are going to want something to put into the pipe, so we have Indian Tobacco, Lobelia inflata. This plant was burned as part of spiritual ceremonies by some Native American tribes. It's a lobelia, yes like your garden lobelia, or cardinal flower. The flowers are all very similar in shape. This picture is of the seed pods. You can easily see why it is "inflata."



Of course, there is Indian paintbrush, Indian plantain, or Indian turnip. Again, no botanical relation to each other. Just more fun common names.

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