New genus of parasitic flowering plant discovered from Nicobar Islands

What is the news?

A new genus of a parasitic flowering plant named “Septemeranthus” has recently been discovered from the Nicobar group of islands. 

What is Septemeranthus?

Septemeranthus belongs to the family Loranthaceae, a hemi-parasite under the sandalwood order Santalales.

It is endemic only to the Nicobar group of islands.It grows on the plant species Horsfieldia glabra (Blume) Warb.

Furthermore, it partially depends on its host but also has leaves capable of photosynthesis.

The plant has a distinct vegetative morphology, inflorescence architecture and floral characters.

The leaves of the plant are heart-shaped with a very long tip and the ovary,fruit and seeds are ‘urceolate’ (earthen pot-shaped). 

What are Parasitic Plants?

Parasitic plant is a plant that obtains all or part of its nutrition from another plant (the host) without contributing to the benefit of the host and, in some cases, causing extreme damage to the host.

The defining structural feature of a parasitic plant is the haustorium, a specialized organ that penetrates the host and forms a vascular union between the plants.

What are Hemi-parasites?

Hemi-parasites are commonly referred to as mistletoes.

They need a host tree or shrub in order to thrive and exhibit a worldwide distribution in tropical as well as temperate habitats that evolved approximately five times in the order and are important in forest ecology, pathology and medicine.

They play a significant role as they provide food for frugivorous birds.

What is the difference between Parasitic and Hemi-Parasites Plants?

Source: This post is based on the article “New genus of parasitic flowering plant discovered from Nicobar Islands” published in The Hindu on 1st Feb 2022.