A woodland plant related to wintergreen, lacking chlorophyll and bearing one or more waxy bell-shaped flowers.
〈北美〉水晶兰
Two species in the family Monotropaceae: the violet-scented sweet pinesap (Monotropsis odorata), and the yellow bird's-nest
Example sentencesExamples
Pinesap, like its relative Indian pipe has no chlorophyll, so it cannot obtain energy from sunlight. Instead, it gets nutrients from organic matter in the soil.
The flowers of Pinesap are in clusters, while each stem of Indian Pipe is solitary.
Because Pinesap is an indirect parasite of the autotrophic plant, it is sometimes referred to as an epiparasite.
Definition of pinesap in US English:
pinesap
nounˈpīnsap
North American
A saprophytic woodland plant related to wintergreen, lacking chlorophyll and bearing one or more waxy bell-shaped flowers.
〈北美〉水晶兰
Two species in the family Monotropaceae (or Pyrolaceae): the yellow or reddish Monotropa hypopithys (also called false beechdrops), common in eastern North America, and the pinkish or purplish violet-scented Monotropsis odorata (also called sweet pinesap)
Example sentencesExamples
The flowers of Pinesap are in clusters, while each stem of Indian Pipe is solitary.
Pinesap, like its relative Indian pipe has no chlorophyll, so it cannot obtain energy from sunlight. Instead, it gets nutrients from organic matter in the soil.
Because Pinesap is an indirect parasite of the autotrophic plant, it is sometimes referred to as an epiparasite.