I wish I remember where specifically I spotted this, as I’d like to keep an eye on it and visit every year when it’s blooming. I also wish I could find more of these – for some reason this plant is just so interesting and pretty to me. It’s also notoriously difficult to spot, as it’s often buried under leaf-litter.
Virginia Pennywort is believed to be “mycoheterotrophic, getting much of its nutrients though a symbiotic relationship with fungi, instead of through its small purplish-green leaves.”
Alternate Name: Jumpseed Size: Up to 6" tall Family: Gentianaceae (Gentian Family) Habitat: Moist, nutrient-rich hardwood forests, and thickets. Identification: "A low fleshy plant with dull white or purplish flowers, usually in groups of 3 in axils of purplish, bract-like upper leaves and atop stem." From wildflower.org Blooms March-May
