Balanophora

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Balanophora
Hup Patad08.jpg
Balanophora fungosa subsp. indica found in northwest Thailand (Hup Patad cave)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Santalales
Family: Balanophoraceae
Genus: Balanophora
J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. [1]
Type species
Balanophora fungosa
Species

See text

Synonyms [1]

Balanophora is a genus of parasitic flowering plants in the family Balanophoraceae distributed from tropical Africa and Madagascar, through South and Southeast Asia, Japan, Queensland and the islands of the western Pacific. [2] [3] [4] There are 25 accepted species. [1] Many species emit an odour which possibly attracts pollinators in the same way that pollinators are attracted to Rafflesia . [5] The tiny flowers produce some of the smallest seeds known, weighing as little as 7 micrograms each. [6]

Contents

Balanophora species are used in folk medicine in many Asian cultures. [4] For example, in Taiwan and China, Balanophora is known as she-gu (snake-fungus) and in Thailand as hoh-ra-tao-su-nak. In both cases, the plant is used to treat a variety of ailments and has various ritual purposes. The tubers of Balanophora are rich in a wax-like substance which is used in Java as a fuel for torches. [5] [7]

Taxonomy

The genus was first described in 1775 by Johann Reinhold Forster and his son Georg Forster in Characteres Generum Plantarum . [8] [9] The name is derived from the ancient Greek words balanos (βάλανος), meaning "acorn" and pherein (φέρειν), meaning "to carry". [10]

Species

As of January 2025, Plants of the World Online accepts the following 25 species: [1]

Ecology

Balanophora yuwanensis, "often considered the same species as B. yakushimensis ", is thought to provide the endangered dark-furred Amami rabbit ( Pentalagus furnessi ) of the Ryukyu Archipelago with vegetative tissues as a reward for seed dispersal. Previously, it had been a mystery how seeds of B. yuwanensis were dispersed. [11] [12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Balanophora J.R.Forst. & G.Forst". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  2. ↑ O'Neill, Alexander; Rana, Santosh (26 July 2018). "Root holoparasite Balanophora polyandra Griff. (Balanophoraceae) in eastern Himalaya (Sikkim, India): distribution, range, status and threats". Journal of Threatened Taxa. 10 (8): 12123–12129. doi: 10.11609/jott.3644.10.8.12123-12129 .
  3. ↑ "Balanophora J.R. Forst. & G. Forst". Tropicos.org.Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  4. 1 2 O'Neill, A.R.; Rana, S.K. (2019). "An ethnobotanical analysis of parasitic plants (Parijibi) in the Nepal Himalaya". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 12 (14): 14. doi: 10.1186/s13002-016-0086-y . PMC   4765049 . PMID   26912113.
  5. 1 2 Jin, Chee Beng; Hoo, Lau Kah (2010). "Balanophora:the hidden highland parasite with unexplored medicinal potential". Malaysian Naturalist: 20–21. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  6. ↑ Cranbrook, Earl of (1989). Key Environments - Malaysia. Oxford, England: Pergamon Press. p. 68.
  7. ↑ "Balanophoraceae". Flora Malesiana. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  8. ↑ "Balanophora". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries; Australian National Botanic Gardens . Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  9. ↑ Forster, Johann Reinhold; Forster, Georg (1775). Characteres Generum Plantarum. London: White, Cadell & Elmsly. p. 99. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  10. ↑ Backer, C.A. (1936). Verklarend woordenboek der wetenschappelijke namen van de in Nederland en Nederlandsch-Indië in het wild groeiende en in tuinen en parken gekweekte varens en hoogere planten (Edition Nicoline van der Sijs).
  11. ↑ Suetsugu, Kenji; Hashiwaki, Hiromu (2023). "A non-photosynthetic plant provides the endangered Amami rabbit with vegetative tissues as a reward for seed dispersal" . Ecology. 104 (4): e3972. Bibcode:2023Ecol..104E3972S. doi:10.1002/ecy.3972. PMID   36691102. S2CID   256193188.
  12. ↑ "Science News. New discovery: Endangered Amami rabbit disperses seeds for non-photosynthetic plant". Science Daily. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.


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