Illustration of Indian pipe
Indian pipe
noun
: a white, waxy perennial herb (Monotropa uniflora of the family Ericaceae, the heath family) of Asia and North America that lacks chlorophyll, has leaves reduced to scales and a stem terminated by a single bell-shaped flower, and turns black following seed maturation
Note: The roots of the Indian pipe contain mycorrhizal fungi from which it acquires nutrients which the fungi's mycelium has obtained by invading the roots of nearby trees (such as beech and pine).
Examples of Indian pipe in a Sentence
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Pine, oak, maple, beech, hemlock, witch hazel, lady’s slipper,
pitcher plant, trillium,
Indian pipe.
—
Sharon Olds, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Soni soon got a call from an Indian pipe fitter.
—Sarah Stillman, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2021
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Sharon Olds, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Soni soon got a call from an Indian pipe fitter.
—Sarah Stillman, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Indian pipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Indian%20pipe. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
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