Environment

Rare plant that does not depend on light rediscovered in Killarney for first time since 1896

Yellow bird’s-nest does not produce chlorophyll, instead getting its food from fungi and tree roots

Just one specimen of yellow bird's-nest, or Monotropa hypopitys, was found in shaded leaf litter habitat in Killarney National Park
Anne Lucey
Mon Sept 02 2024 - 19:55

A rare shade-loving plant which does not depend on light has been rediscovered in Killarney National Park.

Yellow bird’s-nest, or Monotropa hypopitys, does not produce chlorophyll, which give plants their green colour. Instead, as with a small number of plant species, it gets its food from fungi and the roots of trees rather than from using light to manufacture food. It was last seen in Killarney in 1896 but has been rediscovered during a routine survey by rangers.

Just one specimen was found in shaded leaf litter habitat in the national park.

In a statement, as the mushroom season gets under way, Killarney National Park and Wildlife Service said the discovery underlined the importance of the park’s ban on mushroom foraging.

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“By prohibiting mushroom foraging in Killarney National Park, we protect not only the complex relationships that support yellow bird’s-nest but also the entire habitat,” it said.

Botanist and lecturer Dr Therese Higgins, who is attached to the School of Science, Engineering and Mathematics at Munster Technological University (MTU), describes the find as “hugely exciting”.

“Our national data centre, the National Biodiversity Data Centre, shows that there are 49 Irish records between 1970 and July 2023,” she said. Most of those recorded since 1970 have been much further east and to the north of the country.

Woodland visitors are unlikely to stumble across it accidentally – but walkers should avoid causing unnecessary damage to any wildlife on the ground including fungi and green plants, Dr Higgins cautioned.

The plant, when in flower, has small clusters of waxy flowers which usually hang to one side. Its flowering stems above ground are whitish in colour and up to 30cm tall.