A neat lil parasite plant

[swords]

I found this while looking up info on a plant.

This is the only visible part of Hydnora africana the root parasite of Euphorbia caput-medusae.

Open bloom

Read about the first (and only?) growing experiment with this pair of plants here:
http://www.botany.org/Parasitic_Plants/Hydnora_africana.php

 

[carnivoure12]

The rough exterior, color, and parasitic nature, really remind of the rafflesia!

 

[herenorthere]

It repays the host plant by scaring off the herbivores.

 

[swords]

The host ain't too shabby either looking like a swarm of serpents (each arm can get up to 3 feet in length) & being full of poisonous white sap

 

[Capensis]

Hehe, my teacher showed me that in magazine a few months ago, it's a really neat plant. Vampire plant, I think. Awesome flowers.

 

[theyellowdart]

That thing is NASTY... But really cool at the same time.

Looks just like some kind of fictitious flytrap.

Thanks for posting.

 

[seedjar]

Haha, as soon as I saw that I started hearing the theme from "Attack of the Killer Tomatos."
~Joe

 

[Ant]

Every time I turn away from the board for a bit something interesting pops up. Lol, since so many plants are becoming consumers doesn't that mean they are converging with fungus species? (they have cell walls and are consumer not a producer in this case)

 

[larry]

So cool, I love weird plants!

 

[Finch]

Both plants are very cool!