Plants-parasites and their types

The word "parasite" means - existing at the expense of others. In this case, this organism does not produce useful substances. In nature, there is a huge number of living organisms, namely, plants that feed on substances synthesized by other representatives of the flora. This way of survival has existed for quite some time. It occupies a special place in ecosystems.

Plants-parasites are presented in huge quantities. They are striking in the degree of adaptation to the environment and to this way of life.

One of the brightest representatives of this species is the Petrine Cross. As soon as snow falls, this plant begins to develop rapidly. It has pink inflorescences and looks like a candle. This plant is not capable of photosynthesis and therefore does not have leaves and stems of green color. Petrov cross grows on the roots of trees (alder, poplar, hazel). Its root system, consisting of white branched rootlets, fuses with the roots of the tree. It can reach quite large sizes. Its roots are covered with scales, located criss-crosswise. That's why they call him that. This plant can be seen only in the spring. His seeds quickly ripen and crumble.

Another representative of the family, which is the plant-parasites, is the podselnik. It is widely distributed in the forests of our country. This plant also does not have green leaves and, accordingly, does not form chlorophyll. The name suggests that it can be found mainly in coniferous forests. The podleynik has a pale yellow coloration, a stalk covered with scales, and inflorescences of flowers.

It feeds on the mycelium fungus mycorrhiza. In this regard, it can be found at the height of the collection of mushrooms. The mycelium feeds the coniferous tree, and then, in turn, is the food source of the spruce, supplying it with useful mycorrhizal substances.

Some orchids are also parasitic plants. They do without chlorophyll and lead an underground way of life. Their food is also due to mycelium.

To plants that lead a parasitic way of life, one can also refer to the lip-leafless leafless. It is a kind of orchid that has the smell of a banana. This species is threatened with extinction, so it is very rare. It is categorically forbidden to disrupt and even disturb the environment around the place of its growth.

One can also single out the group that the parasitic plants of broomrape make up. They number about 150 species. This plant is a danger to agriculture. It is attached to the roots of plants, which are agricultural crops (sunflower, tomato, etc.)

Some plant-parasites are attached not to the roots, but to the stems of another representative of the flora. For example, a dodder, which has a melenki root until it finds a host plant. Then the need for it disappears. It feeds at the expense of the host and has only a stem with flowers in the future.

Mistletoe is a shrub-parasite. It is an evergreen plant that is able to feed on its own. However, it leads a parasitic lifestyle and receives nutrients from trees. As a food source mistletoe chooses poplar, apple tree, maple, pine. This plant ripens juicy berries, which are eaten by birds. This promotes the spread of its seeds. Mistletoe is attached to the tree with the help of a sucker, forming under the bark accretions. However, despite this way of life, it does not harm the host plant. Mistletoe was even grown on pines, using it as an ornamental plant.

At home, it is almost impossible to grow a parasitic plant. But in the wild, they look very beautiful and can make pretty beautiful compositions.