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Helosis

Helosis sp

Description:

This is a 10 cm tall plant, showing the female blooming stage. Balanophoraceae (from the inflorescence which appears to be covered by barnacles) is a subtropical to tropical family of obligate parasitic flowering plants, notable for their unusual development and obscure affinities. The plants are normally found in moist inland forests growing on tree roots and have an aboveground inflorescence with the overall appearance of a fungus, composed of numerous minute flowers. The inflorescences develop inside the tuberous underground part of the plant, before rupturing it and surfacing. The plants are monoecious, or dioecious, and the fruits are indehiscent drupes or nuts. The underground portion, which attaches itself to the host, looks like a tuber, and is not a proper root system. The plants contain no chlorophyll. Balanophora means bearing an acorn (shape of the femal inflorescence).

Habitat:

1000 meters high tropical rain forest

1 Species ID Suggestions

Urupé
Helosis cf. cayennensis (Sw.) Spreng. Detalha Taxon Publico


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1 Comment

Ashish Nimkar
Ashish Nimkar 11 years ago

Wonderful spotting...
This is interesting and teach about Parasitic flowering structure in plants...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanophora...
http://www.botany.org/parasitic_plants/H...
It remind me one spotting to refer...
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/767...

Daniel-CR
Spotted by
Daniel-CR

Provincia Cartago, Costa Rica

Spotted on Jun 30, 2012
Submitted on Jun 30, 2012

Spotted for Mission

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Reference

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