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Parasitic Flower

Helosis cayennensis

Photo by Dan Doucette
Published on Project Noah
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3.96667, -59.1667

Field Notes

Description:

They have an aboveground inflorescence with the overall appearance of a fungus, composed of numerous minute flowers. The inflorescences develop inside the tuberous underground part of the plant, before rupturing it and surfacing.

Habitat:

The plants are normally found in moist inland forests growing on tree roots

Notes:

I thought these were mushrooms at first until I did some research and found out they were parastic blooms. I spotted these on Clarence Mountain near the village of Aranaputa.

Reference Links:

Balanophoraceae

Species ID Suggestions

Urupé

Helosis cayennensis (Sw.) Spreng.

Reference Link
Leandro Cardoso
1

Comments (15)
Dan Doucette
Thanks Meik. Great spotting on your link too.
Meik Meißner
Wow, nice spotting! It really looks like a mushroom. Reminds me a bit of a parasitic plant I spotted some years ago. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/5568721
AlexKonig
no problem, i learn every day a little more here. MAYBE i will go under the "plant"-tolog area as well. no, i even dont know the right name for this science, i better just leave it to my mushroom
Dan Doucette
Hahaha, thanks Craig! I'm glad we are all in agreement about it being one species. Thanks Alex, the stem does look the same.
craigwilliams
I think you're both right. I guess the second is a female inflorescence, and not just because she's wearing a nicer frock!
AlexKonig
btw it look like a discolored "coprinus comatus" (mushroom) . just from the shape. nice spotting
AlexKonig
dan take a look at the stem. i think it could be the same species, but then other grow-stadias or different genders. but when you say it is in the same area and has a similar stem, i suspect it comes from the same plant
Dan Doucette
Thanks Craig. You think they are 2 different species? Maybe I should split them up. I always thought they were the same just in different growth stages because I saw them in the same area but maybe I was wrong.
craigwilliams
Great shots! Would love to know what these two spp. are. The second is particularly amazing.

Tags

Photographed
PublishedApril 30, 2011

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