I'm not sure, but that is a good point. That and seed dispersal seem like a good reason, that or it's a latent trait from a shared ancestor.

That's interesting, thanks for sharing. I've not seen this plant before, too cool.

I've got another fun fact that adjacently relates to this plant.

So the ghost pipe leeches off of those mycorrhizal fungi, but those fungi share a symbiotic relationship with the tree. The fungi help the trees absorb water and nutrients and the fungi get sugar in return. Some of the most well known plants wouldn't be nearly as present if this relationship didn't happen. Take wild blueberries for example. They grow in acidic soil that is poor in nutrients. They'd die without these fungi. While not all mycorrhizal relationships are necessary, a vast majority of plants have this relationship.

That blew my mind when I first read it, lol. Sorry for ranting.