Balanophora abbreviata

Content

Description

Monoecious plants (inflorescences bisexual), creamy-white to pale yellow. Leaves 3-7, distichous, evenly spaced, slightly imbricate 1-2 by ¾-1½ cm, ovate, obtuse or emarginate.

Distribution

Africa present: Congo (Congo present), Andamans present, Asia-Temperate: Hainan (Hainan present), Asia-Tropical: Borneo; Maluku (Maluku), Comores present, Indian and Indo-Chinese subcontinents present, Madagascar present, Mallicolo I present, New Hebrides present, Pacific present: Marquesas (Marquesas present), SW. China present, Tahiti present

Africa (Congo), Comores, Madagascar, SW. China, Hainan, Indian and Indo-Chinese subcontinents, Andamans, throughout Malesia (but very scattered and not yet known from Borneo and the Moluccas), and in the Pacific (Tahiti, Marquesas). New Hebrides: Mallicolo I. (N. Halle RSNH 6351), parasitic on Ficus. Cf. . .

Notes

Distinguished from B. fungosa subsp. fungosa by its distichous leaves and by the pedicels of ♂ flowers being very short or absent. Flowering specimens may occur 3 m high above the soil in Ficus specimens (RANT in sched.). Mr. G.D. Arekal & G.R. Shivamurthy () have, for the first time, been able to examine, in situ — since all former experimental infections have failed — the germination of the seed of B. abbreviata, a magnificent achievement with these utterly minute seeds. After the breaking of the seed coat the endosperm cells produce 4-8 narrow tubular extensions coated with a sticky substance adhering to the fine rootlets for anchorage. Then the hardly differentiated embryo produces 1-4 tubular processes to form the primary haus- torium, penetrating into the rootlet and making contact with the vascular tissue of the rootlet of the host; a nodule develops, throwing off the seed coat, and parasitism is established. The procedure is established on uninjured rootlets. Naturally it does not exclude the possibility that infection can also proceed on injured roots or even stem bases of host plants.

Citation

F.-VILL. & NAVES 1880 – In: Nov. App. Blanco Fl. Filip., ed. 3: 185

Elmer 1913 – In: Leafl. Philip. Bot.: 1659

BACK. & BAKH.f. 1965 – In: Fl. Java: 79

Bl. 1934 – In: Trop. Natuur: 49

Koord. 1912: p. 176. – In: Fl. Fl. Java: f. 37

Miq. 1859 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 1065

Merr. 1923 – In: En. Philip.: 118

Ridl. 1924 – In: Fl. Mal. Pen.: 175

Merr. 1923 – In: En. Philip.: 118

STEEN. 1932: Arch. Hydro-biol.: 301

EICHL. 1873 – In: DC., Prod. 17: 148