Balanophoraceae

Taxobox
name = Balanophoraceae


image_width = 230px
image_caption = from "Pflanzenleben" (1913)
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Santalales (tentative)
familia = Balanophoraceae
familia_authority = Rich. (1822)
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = 17, see text Balanophoraceae is a subtropical to tropical family of unusual parasitic flowering plants. The plants have an aboveground inflorescence with the overall appearance of a fungus, composed of numerous minute flowers. The inflorescences develop inside the underground part of the plant, before rupturing it and surfacing. The plants are monoecious, or dioecious, and the fruits are indehiscent drupes or nuts. The underground portion, which attaches itself to the host, looks like a tuber, and is not a proper root system. The plants contain no chlorophyll.

The APG II system, of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system, of 1998), also recognizes this family but leaves it unplaced, as to order and higher grouping. The [http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/APweb/welcome.html AP-Website] indicates that the family should be included in the order "Santalales" (post APG II), where it was also placed by the Cronquist system (1981).

The species "Balanophora elongata" is a parasite on tree roots and can be found in montane forest such as that of the Mount Gede Pangrango National Park in the Indonesian province of West Java.cite book
last =Whitten | first =Tony and Jane | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =Wild Indonesia: The Wildlife and Scenery of the Indonesian Archipelago | publisher =New Holland | date =1992 | location =United Kingdom | pages =page 127
isbn = 1-85368-128-8]

Genera

* "Balanophora"
* "Chlamydophytum"
* "Corynaea"
* "Dactylanthus"
* "Ditepalanthus"
* "Exorhopala"
* "Hachettea"
* "Helosis"
* "Langsforffia"
* "Lophophytum" Schott & Endl.
* "Mystropetalon"
* "Ombrophytum" Poepp. ex Endl.
* "Rhopalocnemis"
* "Sarcophyte"
* "Scybalium"
* "Thonningia"

References

External links

* [http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/balanoph.htm Balanophoraceae] in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). " [http://delta-intkey.com/angio/ The families of flowering plants] : descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval." Version: 2nd June 2006. http://delta-intkey.com
* [http://www.parasiticplants.siu.edu/Balanophoraceae/index.html Balanophoraceae at Parasitic plants]
* [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Tree&id=25673&lvl=3&p=mapview&p=has_linkout&p=blast_url&p=genome_blast&lin=f&keep=1&srchmode=1&unlock NCBI Taxonomy Browser]