They get nutrients from the dead remains of animals and plants. In contrast to parasites, saprophytes do not feed on live proteins, but on dead ones.
GNIZDIVKA VYCHAYNA is another representative of the Zozulintsev family. A perennial saprophytic plant, devoid of green color, feeds on decaying substances. The flowers are inconspicuous, but have a pleasant honey smell, which attracts flies that pollinate them. Blooms in May – June, grows in shady deciduous, rarely pine forests.
Like other orchids, it has a complex development, the specificity of which lies in symbiotic relationships with certain fungi. The seeds of the nest can germinate only when the hyphae of the fungus penetrate into its middle.
After the formation of roots, the orchid partially transitions to self-feeding. The plant is rare, listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. Conservation status of the species: unassessed.