Rare plant uses camouflage

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 27 (UPI) -- A rare woodland plant, Monotropsis odorata, uses camouflage to hide from predators in much the way some animals do, scientists in Massachusetts said.

The plant, found throughout the southeastern United States, is able to blend in, allowing it to survive longer and more easily pass along its genes to the next generation, Harvard botanist Matthew Klooster writes in the December issue of the American Journal of Botany.

Monotropsis odorata relies exclusively upon mycorrhizal fungus via its roots for all the resources it needs to live.

"Because this plant no longer requires photosynthetic pigmentation (i.e., green coloration) to produce its own energy, it is free to adopt a broader range of possibilities in coloration, much like fungi or animals," Klooster said in a release Wednesday.

Klooster and his team said dried brackets on the plant resemble leaf litter scattered on the ground from other non-related plants. That camouflage hides the plant's flowers, ensuring a greater rate of survival from predators.