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Balanophora is a genus of parasitic flowering plants in the family Balanophoraceae distributed from tropical Africa and Madagascar, through South and Southeast Asia, Japan, Queensland and the islands of the western Pacific. There are over 20 accepted species. Many species emit an odour which possibly attracts pollinators in the same way that pollinators are attracted to Rafflesia. The tiny flowers produce some of the smallest seeds known, weighing as little as 7 micrograms each.
Balanophora yuwanensis, often considered the same species as B. yakushimensis, is thought to provide the endangered dark-furred Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi) of the Ryukyu Archipelago with vegetative tissues as a reward for seed dispersal. Previously, it had been a mystery how seeds of B. yuwanensis were dispersed.
Balanophora species are used in folk medicine in many Asian cultures. For example, in Taiwan and China, Balanophora is known as she-gu (snake-fungus) and in Thailand as hoh-ra-tao-su-nak. In both cases, the plant is used to treat a variety of ailments and has various ritual purposes. The tubers of Balanophora are rich in a wax-like substance which is used in Java as a fuel for torches.
Balanophora coralliformis · Balanophora cucphuongensis · Fungus root · Japanese Balanophora
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Balanophora by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
