A strange parasitic plant called Balanophora has traded its ability to photosynthesize for a more unique lifestyle. Recent research highlights how this plant drastically reduced its plastid genomes—important for photosynthesis—by tenfold.
Typically, plants have plastome sizes ranging from 120,000 to 170,000 base pairs. However, Balanophora retains only about 16,000 base pairs. While this tiny plastome no longer converts sunlight into energy, it still plays a role in the plant’s metabolism.
Instead of photosynthesis, Balanophora thrives by feeding on tree roots, effectively stealing nutrients. Unlike fungi that often provide some benefits in return, this plant is a full-blown parasite.
Botanist Petra Svetlikova from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology states that it’s intriguing to see how this plant evolved from ancestors that looked like typical plants. Balanophora produces flowers and seeds, yet its appearance mirrors that of mushrooms—an example of convergent evolution.
Researchers studied seven species from distinct populations in Taiwan and Japan. They discovered that Balanophora has some of the smallest plastomes among land plants. Interestingly, this indicates that they don’t have many unnecessary genes but keep what’s essential for their parasitic way of life.
The evolutionary path of Balanophora may shed light on broader questions about how plants adapt. For instance, researchers found that a common ancestor lost its plastome before the species diverged. Isolated populations, especially those on islands, developed the ability to reproduce asexually. This is unusual for plants, giving Balanophora a better chance of surviving in areas where finding mates can be difficult.
The resilience of life is striking, especially in how some species, like Balanophora, find unexpected ways to adapt to their environment. Such discoveries may significantly enhance our understanding of evolution and plant biology.
For more details on the research, you can check the full study published in New Phytologist here.
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