Welcoming Holoparasites, Hemiparasites, and Hosts.
Each plant included in this project will be either a holoparasite, a hemiparasite, or a host. If a plant is some color other than green because it contains no chlorophyll, assume it is a holoparasite and is unable to produces its own food. Remember "holo" means "whole" or "entire." Dodder (Cuscuta) a twining vine colored yellow or orange is an example of a holoparasite.
However, a hemiparasite might well have chlorophyll of its own, but still take much of its nutrition from other plants. Remember "hemi" means "half" just like "semi." American Mistletoe (Phorodendron leucarpum) is green and it is a hemiparasite. Yet it is easy to tell that it is a parasitic plant because it is alway growing out of the branches or trunk of its tree host. Some other hemiparasites are much harder to recognize as parasites at all because they do not have as visible a relationship with their hosts as American Mistletoe does. Most hemiparasites are impossible to judge by appearance alone unlike holoparasites.
Whenever possible we will complete the relevant observation field to identify the plant host or the fact that a plant is being parasitized. After all, it would not do to mistake a parasitic plant for a host plant or vice versa.
Discover which plants are stealing nutrition from other plants not just in the forest, but even in your own backyard.
Comentarios
Thank you for putting this project together! This is a great idea, very interesting, and I look forward to contributing to it in the future as I am rather partial to non-photosynthetic plants in general, especially in this area. I saw you are including myco-heterotrophs in this project (like members of the Monotropodeae) but I am curious about the inclusion of other plant groups since plants like Monotropa and Monotropsis are not direct parasites on another plants. I'm curious if you are also interested in including the photosynthetic members of the Orchidaceae and some genera like Chimaphila and Pyrola that are myco-heterotrophic?
Yes indeed! Bring the photosynthetic orchids and the myco-heteortrophs on! If you wish to write a journal entry about any of these special plants let me know. Happy exploring!
Myco-heterotroph I mean. A word fit for a spelling bee.
ok great, sounds good! I'll include those in the future. And yes, I'd love to write something about myco-heterotrophs at some point in the future. They are quite unique little plants. I'll be in touch.
Excellent! I look forward to learning more about them.
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