Balanophora fungosa subsp. indica (Arn.) B.Hansen

Balanophoraceae

Hansen, B. (1972) Dansk Botanisk Arkiv Udgivet af Dansk Botanisk Forening 28: 100.

Balanophora; Fungus Root

'Plants' arise from an irregularly-shaped, hard, bulbous mass attached to the roots of rain forest plants.

Leaves about 10-35 per 'plant'. Leaves scale-like, cream, without chlorophyll, about 8-30 x 7-20 mm, sessile, apex obtuse, base +/- partly clasping the stem. Both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves blades glabrous. No venation.

Plants dioecious, male and female flowers present on different inflorescences and plants. Flowers emit a mouse-like odour. Male flowers: Flowers about 3-5 mm diam. , pedicellate (pedicels +/- 5-6 mm long) arranged in a ring around the base of the head of female flowers. Pollen white. Backs of the anthers fused to one another to form a globular head of anthers in the middle of each male flower. Anthers opening by a horseshoe-shaped slit. Female flowers: Flowers tiny, borne in globular heads about 1-2.5 cm diam. Styles about 0.7-0.8 mm long.

Fruits borne on the surface of a globular head about 1-3.5 cm diam. Fruit small, about 0.4-0.5 x 0.3-0.4 mm, surface rugose. Translucent floral remnants attached at one end. Seeds about 0.25 mm diam.

Features not available.

Occurs rarely in CYP and with an isolated record in NEQ. Altitudinal range near sea level . Also found in Asia, Malesia and the Pacific islands.

Flowering plants emit an odour resembling that of mice.

Grows as a parasite on the roots of other plants.

Male and female flowers occur on separate plants (separate inflorescences).

Balanophora fungosa var. indica (Arn.) B.Hansen, Dansk Botanisk Arkiv Udgivet af Dansk Botanisk Forening 28: 100(1972). Langsdorffia indica Arn., Annals of Natural History 2: 37(1838), Type: not known.