Apodanthaceae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Apodanthaceae | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| Order: | incertae sedis |
| Family: | Apodanthaceae |
| Genera | |
The family Apodanthaceae comprises 22 to 30 species of endoparasitic herbs. They live in branches or roots of their host (as filaments similar to a fungal mycelium), emerging only to flower. The only leaves present are several bracts at the base of each flower. The plants do not carry out any photosynthesis (that is, they are holoparasitic).[1] These are distributed into three genera: Pilostyles, Apodanthes, and Berlinianche.[2] Attempts to determine the relationships of Apodanthaceae have produced only uncertain results and they remain as enigmatic as ever.[3][4]
[edit] References
- ^ Apodanthaceae: Family Description, Parasitic Plant Connection website, accessed 2009-12-31
- ^ Albert Blarer, Daniel L. Nickrent, and Peter K. Endress. 2004. "Comparative floral structure and systematics in Apodanthaceae (Rafflesiales)". Plant Systematics and Evolution 245(1-2):119-142.
- ^ Todd J. Barkman, Joel R. McNeal, Seok-Hong Lim, Gwen Coat, Henrietta B. Croom, Nelson D. Young, and Claude W. de Pamphilis. 2007. "Mitochondrial DNA suggests at least 11 origins of parasitism in angiosperms and reveals genomic chimerism in parasitic plants". BMC Evolutionary Biology 7:248.
- ^ Apodanthaceae at Parasitic Plant Connection website
