 |
| Balanophora fungosa ssp. fungosa photographed on Ishigaki Island in southern Okinawa Prefecture. Credit: Petra Svetlikova |
“Balanophora is a plant that abandoned photosynthesis long ago and now lives entirely as a parasite on tree roots, hidden in dark forest undergrowth. Scientists surveying rare populations across East Asian islands uncovered how its cellular machinery shrank but didn’t disappear, revealing unexpected similarities to parasites like malaria. Some island species even reproduce without sex, cloning themselves to colonize new habitats.”
No comments:
Post a Comment