• Some plants can live in the darkened corners of a forest floor.Creek in the forrest image by Kavita from Fotolia.com
  
  Plants that live in the dark lack the ability to photosynthesize their food. Photosynthesis is the process in which a plant takes in carbon dioxide and water and converts them into the simple sugars it needs as food. The plant needs both sunlight and the green chemical chlorophyll for the conversion. Most plants that live in the dark lack chlorophyll entirely, while others posses minute amounts. They lack the green color that is typical of plant life.
  
  

Saprophyte-- Indian Pipe

• Saprophytes are plants that get their nutrients from decaying organic material. The Indian pipe is a species of saprophyte that lives among the leaf litter in forest floors. The white, mushroom-like plants look like a fungus but produces flowers. A member of the monotropid branch of the saprophyte family, Indian pipe is found in mixed growth or coniferous forests in the northeastern United States.
  
  

Dodder Plant

• This is a parasite that gets its nourishment from other plants. It has very little chlorophyll, so the dodder's ability to photosynthesize is minimal. The plants are usually found in shades of yellow or orange, sometimes with a hint of red or purple. It attacks ornamental plants such as the chrysanthemum, English ivy and dahlias. Dodder is particularly destructive to agricultural crops and frequently infests potatoes, alfalfa, flax and clover. Once established, the plant is difficult to eradicate. Seeds are easily dispersed by grazing animals and can lay dormant for up to five years.
  
  

Chlamydomonas

• Chlamydomonas is a single-celled algae that is commonly used in laboratories for research in cell biology. It is particularly useful in the study of photosynthesis and in learning how plants respond to light and other stimuli. This plant can survive by using photosynthesis, or it can grow in the dark if acetate is added to the growth medium. This gives the plant an alternate source of carbon. In the wild, chlamydomonas can be found worldwide and in many different biomes. The algae have been found in soil, in both fresh and saltwater and even in mountain snow.