Final answer:
A plant such as an Indian Pipe that does not make its own food but gets its carbon products from other plants, with the help of a fungal partner is called a symbiotic plant. It forms a mutualistic relationship with the fungus, where the plant provides sugars to the fungus and receives minerals and water in return.
Step-by-step explanation:
A plant such as an Indian Pipe that does not make its own food but gets its carbon products from other plants, with the help of a fungal partner is called a symbiotic plant. It forms a mutualistic relationship with the fungus, where the plant provides sugars to the fungus and receives minerals and water in return. This type of symbiosis is known as mycorrhizae. A plant like Indian Pipe, devoid of the ability to produce its own food and reliant on a fungal partner to obtain carbon products from other plants, is categorized as a mycoheterotrophic or myco-heterotrophic plant. These plants engage in a symbiotic relationship with fungi, particularly mycorrhizal fungi, forming a mycorrhizal association. Unlike parasitic plants that directly derive nutrients from a host plant, mycoheterotrophic plants depend on fungi to act as intermediaries, connecting them to the nutrient network of other plants. This adaptation allows them to thrive in nutrient-poor environments where direct photosynthesis is challenging. Epiphytic and carnivorous plants, in contrast, obtain nutrients differently. Epiphytes grow on other plants for support but not for nutrients, and carnivorous plants capture and digest prey for additional nutrients.