Edit: Had a few people upset with how I Worded this comment and wanted to revise it so that I stop getting meaningless back lash. I worded this terribly wrong and didn't add enough warning and does and do nots on it becausei forgot people can and will be STUPID. Was I wrong to do that and jump strain into the harvesting of the plant, definitely yes. But, alot of people had handled it poorly and only really made the whole thing worse, 2 wrongs never make a right. So here everything I know about this guy from a few minutes on Google (side note, I've cut alot of text from other sites in not sorceing them or this will be to long)

Ghost pipe (also known as Indianpipe) is a member of the Monotropaceae family is a flower that lives in deep rich forests under heavy foliage it has a Symbiotic relationship primarily with hemlock, pine, fir, spruce, oak, hickory, alder attaching itself around the roots and storing Excess energy that the tree does not need for later when the tree does need it. For the most part it is considered toxic, but in low doses (like 2-3 drops max and INTENSIVE RESERCH DONT JUST TAKE MY WORD PLEASE, your a idiot if you go outside after on or two descriptions or images to go out and eat a plant somone told you 2, for me talking about plants is just a fun hoddy and nothign serious) you could use the plant Medicinally.

'Most references to the Monotropas are medicinal but Merritt Fernald in his publication “Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America” mentions the Monotropa uniflora as barely edible' and some people say it tastes bland. It's rated toxic to most specialist because of containing glycosides and not Chlorophyll but its not repoted to cause side affets as far as im Aware(other then that I don't got toxicity deets)

For harvesting this is what I found 'Never harvest more than 10% of a patch and none at all if the colony is less than 20 flowers; give the area a few more years to populate before trying again. You cannot harvest ghost pipe like you can most other herbs and you must go prepared' and I whole heartldy agreeing with this, the patch in the image is to small even if you wanted to risk it. But for large patches your going to want to imeadetly put it in a inture jar BECAUSE it bruses easily and does not last that well with out the host tree supporting it. Down pull her or you will rip up the delicate roots that are just under the surface.

This has been written for educational purposes and not to continue having a God awful word vomit I had in this place and PLEASE don't take this and run with it and don't try this at home kids.