The bright side of parasitic plants: what are they good for?

Parasitic plants are mostly viewed as pests. This is caused by several species causing serious damage to agriculture and forestry. There is however much more to parasitic plants than presumed weeds.

Root hemiparasitism in (Olacaceae), a neglected aspect in research of the highly valued tree species.

(Olacaceae) is a valued tree species, mostly because its seeds have high precious fatty acid content (particularly nervonic acid). However, seedling mortality rates are often high and regeneration of this tree has been problematic, which greatly hinders its utilization at a large scale. Cultivation difficulties of some tree species in the family Olacaceae have been attributed to their root hemiparasitic habit.

A neglected alliance in battles against parasitic plants: arbuscular mycorrhizal and rhizobial symbioses alleviate damage to a legume host by root hemiparasitic Pedicularis species.

Despite their ubiquitous distribution and significant ecological roles, soil microorganisms have long been neglected in investigations addressing parasitic plant-host interactions. Because nutrient deprivation is a primary cause of host damage by parasitic plants, we hypothesized that beneficial soil microorganisms conferring nutrient benefits to parasitized hosts may play important roles in alleviating damage. We conducted a pot cultivation experiment to test the inoculation effect of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Glomus mosseae), a rhizobium (Rhizobium leguminosarum) and their interactive effects, on alleviation of damage to a legume host (Trifolium repens) by two root hemiparasitic plants with different nutrient requirements (N-demanding Pedicularis rex and P-demanding P.

Long-Distance Dispersal after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) Led to the Disjunctive Distribution of Pedicularis kansuensis (Orobanchaceae) between the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and Tianshan Region.

Quaternary climate fluctuations have profoundly affected the current distribution patterns and genetic structures of many plant and animal species in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and adjacent mountain ranges, e.g. Tianshan (TSR), Altay, etc.

Differentiation in fructification percentage between two morphs of Amomum tsaoko (Zingiberaceae).

Amomum tsaoko is a flexistylous ginger. Flexistyly is a unique floral mechanism promoting outcrossing, which is known only in some species of Zingiberaceae till date. This is a pioneer report on flexistyly in A.

Host shoot clipping depresses the growth of weedy hemiparasitic Pedicularis kansuensis.

Root hemiparasitic plants show optimal growth when attached to a suitable host by abstracting water and nutrients. Despite the fact that damage to host plants in the wild occurs frequently in various forms (e.g.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: potential biocontrol agents against the damaging root hemiparasite Pedicularis kansuensis?

Spatial expansion of root hemiparasitic Pedicularis kansuensis in Bayanbulak Grassland of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (China) has caused great loss of herbage yield and has threatened the local livestock industry. Current management practices using manual eradication and chemical control have been proved problematic. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have been suggested to be potential biocontrol agents against a number of plant pests, but experimental evidence is lacking against weedy P.

Direct and indirect influences of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on phosphorus uptake by two root hemiparasitic Pedicularis species: do the fungal partners matter at low colonization levels?

Background And Aims: Because most parasitic plants do not form mycorrhizal associations, the nutritional roles of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in them have hardly been tested. Some facultative root hemiparasitic Pedicularis species form AM associations and hence are ideal for testing both direct and indirect effects of AM fungi on their nutrient acquisition. The aim of this study was to test the influence of AM inoculation on phosphorus (P) uptake by Pedicularis rex and P.

Nutrient requirements differ in two Pedicularis species in the absence of a host plant: implication for driving forces in the evolution of host preference of root hemiparasitic plants.

Background And Aims: Facultative root hemiparasitic plants generally have a wide host range, but in most cases show an obvious host preference. The reasons for the marked difference in growth performance of hemiparasites when attached to different hosts are not fully understood. In this study, the hypothesis was tested that hemiparasites showing a preference for different hosts have different nutrient requirements.

Two sympatric root hemiparasitic Pedicularis species differ in host dependency and selectivity under phosphorus limitation.

Parasitic biology of Pedicularis L. (Orobanchaceae) has been underinvestigated despite its wide distribution and potential ecological significance. To better understand the parasitic aspects of the root hemiparasites, host-parasite interactions were investigated with two sympatric Pedicularis species, Pedicularis rex C.

Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi suppresses initiation of haustoria in the root hemiparasite Pedicularis tricolor.

Background And Aims: Plant parasitism and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) associations have many parallels and share a number of regulatory pathways. Despite a rapid increase in investigations addressing the roles of AM fungi in regulating interactions between parasitic plants and their hosts, few studies have tested the effect of AM fungi on the initiation and differentiation of haustoria, the parasite-specific structures exclusively responsible for host attachment and nutrient transfer. In this study, we tested the influence of AM fungi on haustorium formation in a root hemiparasitic plant.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may serve as another nutrient strategy for some hemiparasitic species of Pedicularis (Orobanchaceae).

As an important component of plant kingdom, parasitic plants have intrigued many scientists with their heterotrophic strategy. Numerous investigations have been carried out for a better understanding of interactions between parasitic plants and their hosts. Nevertheless, studies on parasitic plants from a mycorrhizal perspective are lacking, largely because of the notion that parasitic plants do not form mycorrhizal associations.

Antimicrobial activity of four species of Berberidaceae.

Ethanolic extracts of the stems and leaves of Nandina domestica, Mahonia fortunei, Mahonia bealei and Berberis thunbergii were tested for their antibacterial and antifungal activity. Most of the extracts have been proved to be active against Gram(+) bacteria.

Mycorrhizal and dark septate endophytic fungi of Pedicularis species from northwest of Yunnan Province, China.

Colonization of mycorrhizal and root endophytic fungi in 14 Pedicularis species from northwest of Yunnan Province, southwest China, was examined. These species included: Pedicularis gracilis Wall., Pedicularis longipes Maxim.