Researchers are examining a peculiar plant from the Balanophoraceae family, which could be regarded as one of the most paradoxical instances of evolution. The publication Planet Today reported on this.
Contrary to common notions about flora, this plant is almost entirely lacking in photosynthesis and subsists through parasitism.
The study’s co-author, Kenju Suetsugu from Kobe University, discovered that many individuals still exclusively associate the concept of a plant with photosynthesis, yet Balanophora clearly demonstrates that being “green” is by no means necessary for this. According to the scientist, this species shatters established biological stereotypes.
The rare Balanophoraceae family sprouts only in certain Asian regions—in the mountainous areas of Taiwan and the humid subtropical forests of Okinawa. These plants thrive in settings where sunlight barely penetrates.
In the researchers’ view, a parasitic lifestyle became an evolutionary advantage for Balanophora. Suetsugu noted that parasitism enables the plants to persist and propagate in shaded ecosystems, thereby diverting resources from foliage and photosynthetic apparatus toward subterranean organs and reproductive processes.
An additional finding was that members of the Balanophora family possess an extremely reduced plastid genome.
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