Parasitism in plants is a spectrum. What I mean by this is that the ways in which plants have evolved a parasitic lifestyle ranges from somewhat parasitic to entirely parasitic. The lines are blurred and as time goes by I am sure that research will reveal even more examples. However, since I already talked about a plant that was fully reliant on a parasitic lifestyle, I would like to discuss some that are only partially parasitic.
Meet Pedicularis groenlandica or, as the flowers may suggest, elephant’s head! This is probably one of my favorite western species. Seeing it in person is quite an experience. It is native to the western U.S. and most of Canada. This member of the broomrape family, Orobanchaceae, is what we call a hemiparasite. Hemiparasitism is a type of partial parasitism. The plant does produce fern-like leaves that do undergo photosynthesis but by using specialized root structures called haustoria that grow into the roots of other plants, hemiparasites can obtain nutrients that way.
Houstoria do not grow into the cells of other plants, instead they weave their way in between the cells, which, to me, is quite interesting. It is worth noting that, to the best of my knowledge, all members of the broomrape family are parasites on some level. Many take it to the fullest and do not produce any of their own chlorophyll while many other genera are hemiparasites like elephant’s head.
Parasitism in the plant world is a fascinating topic of study. How and why the varied strategies evolved separately over many different families is a fun mystery. Enjoy these plants in the wild as the are incredibly difficult to establish from seed in a garden setting. If anyone has had success in germinating and growing these species, please chime in!
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