Tag: know the plant world closely

A facultative saprophyte is an organism that is primarily a parasite but can survive as a saprophyte if a living host is unavailable.

Saprophytes perform extra-cellular digestion by secreting digestive enzymes into the environment to break down complex organic matter into absorbable nutrients.

Bacteria and fungi that break down dead organic matter are classified as saprophytes, playing a crucial role in nutrient cycling.

Viscum is a partial stem parasite among the following because it depends on its host for only water and minerals. It can prepare its own food through photosynthesis as it is chlorophyllous.

Dionaea, also called as venus fly trap has modified itself in order to meet the requirements of nitrogen. Its leaves are turned into bilobed flap-like structures or winged structures surrounded by spines on the margins so that they can trap the insects laying on them.

Balanophora is a total root parasite because it sucks sugars, minerals and also water from the roots of host plants like cabbage etc for its survival, in turn, harming the host.

Rafflesia bears the largest flowers of the angiosperms. The flowers can grow to 3 feet and can weigh up to 6 kilograms. The plant is parasitic and the vegetative parts are not visible. The flowers are unisexual. The foul smell produced by the flower attracts the pollinator insects.  

A. The largest root parasite is rafflesia because rafflesia blooms the largest flower grows to be 3 ft across and almost 50 pounds. The only visible parts of this parasite are usually its flower.