sarcodes
/ˈsɑrkoʊdz/
noun
- A genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, commonly known as snow plants or snow flowers, which are parasitic on fungi and lack chlorophyll.
- The Sarcodes genus includes only one species, Sarcodes sanguinea, which is native to western North America.
- Hikers in the Sierra Nevada often spot the bright red Sarcodes pushing through the forest floor in spring.
- Unlike most plants, Sarcodes does not perform photosynthesis and instead gets nutrients from soil fungi.