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Parasitaxus Usta
''Parasitaxus usta'', also known in French as ''cèdre rabougri'', is a rare species of conifer of the family Podocarpaceae, and the sole species of the genus ''Parasitaxus''. Description It is a woody shrub up to 1.8 m endemic to the remote, densely forested areas of New Caledonia, first discovered and described by Vieillard in 1861. The first definitive report that it was a parasite was in 1959. Taxonomy Molecular phylogenetic analysis also suggest affinities between ''Parasitaxus'' and the genera ''Manoao'' (New Zealand) and ''Lagarostrobos'' (Tasmania). ''Parasitaxus'' has been shown to contain high levels of chlorophyll. However, a genome analysis shows that many genes for photosynthesis are missing from the parasite's plastid genome, strongly suggesting that ''Parasitaxus'' completely depends on its host for survival. Around 60% of the genes normally present in a podocarp plastid genome were entirely absent or present only as fragments. They were predominantly genes ...
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The IUCN Red List Of Threatened Species
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological species. A series of Regional Red Lists, which assess the risk of extinction to species within a political management unit, are also produced by countries and organizations. The goals of the Red List are to provide scientifically based information on the status of species and subspecies at a global level, to draw attention to the magnitude and importance of threatened biodiversity, to influence national and international policy and decision-making, and to provide information to guide actions to conserve biological diversity. Major species assessors include BirdLife International, the Institute of Zoology (the research division of the Zoological Society of London), the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, and many Specialist Groups within th ...
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Parasitaxus Usta Imported From INaturalist Photo 55058172 On 1 December 2019
''Parasitaxus usta'', also known in French as ''cèdre rabougri'', is a rare species of conifer of the family Podocarpaceae, and the sole species of the genus ''Parasitaxus''. Description It is a woody shrub up to 1.8 m endemic to the remote, densely forested areas of New Caledonia, first discovered and described by Vieillard in 1861. The first definitive report that it was a parasite was in 1959. Taxonomy Molecular phylogenetic analysis also suggest affinities between ''Parasitaxus'' and the genera '' Manoao'' (New Zealand) and '' Lagarostrobos'' (Tasmania). ''Parasitaxus'' has been shown to contain high levels of chlorophyll. However, a genome analysis shows that many genes for photosynthesis are missing from the parasite's plastid genome, strongly suggesting that ''Parasitaxus'' completely depends on its host for survival. Around 60% of the genes normally present in a podocarp plastid genome were entirely absent or present only as fragments. They were predominantly gene ...
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Monotypic Conifer Genera
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispecific" or "monospecific" is sometimes preferred. In botanical nomenclature, a monotypic genus is a genus in the special case where a genus and a single species are simultaneously described. Theoretical implications Monotypic taxa present several important theoretical challenges in biological classification. One key issue is known as "Gregg's Paradox": if a single species is the only member of multiple hierarchical levels (for example, being the only species in its genus, which is the only genus in its family), then each level needs a distinct definition to maintain logical structure. Otherwise, the different taxonomic ranks become effectively identical, which creates problems for organizing biological diversity in a hierarchical system. ...
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Endemic Flora Of New Caledonia
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, the Cape sugarbird is found exclusively in southwestern South Africa and is therefore said to be ''endemic'' to that particular part of the world. An endemic species can also be referred to as an ''endemism'' or, in scientific literature, as an ''endemite''. Similarly, many species found in the Western ghats of India are examples of endemism. Endemism is an important concept in conservation biology for measuring biodiversity in a particular place and evaluating the risk of extinction for species. Endemism is also of interest in evolutionary biology, because it provides clues about how changes in the environment cause species to undergo range shifts (potentially expanding their range into a larger area or becomi ...
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Daniel Lee Nickrent
Daniel Lee Nickrent is an American botanist, working in plant evolutionary biology, including the subdisciplines of genomics, phylogenetics, systematics, population genetics, and taxonomy. A major focus has been parasitic flowering plants, particularly of the sandalwood order (Santalales). His interest in photographic documentation and photographic databases has led to several photographic databases including Parasitic Plant Connection, Phytoimages, Plant Checklist for the Rocky Mountain National Park, and Plant Checklist for the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. Nickrent has over 9400 citations (as of 15 October 2019) according to Google Scholar. He is Research Faculty and Professor Emeritus of Plant Molecular Systematics and Evolution at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) (). Education After completing one year towards his undergraduate degree at Illinois State University, Nickrent's interest in plants began during his participation in an NSF-sponsored re ...
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Myco-heterotrophy
Myco-heterotrophy (from Greek , , and ) is a symbiotic relationship between certain kinds of plants and fungi, in which the plant gets all or part of its food from parasitism upon fungi rather than from photosynthesis. A myco-heterotroph is the parasitic plant partner in this relationship. Myco-heterotrophy is considered a kind of cheating relationship and myco-heterotrophs are sometimes informally referred to as "mycorrhizal cheaters". This relationship is sometimes referred to as mycotrophy, though this term is also used for plants that engage in mutualistic mycorrhizal relationships. Relationship between myco-heterotrophs and host fungi Full (or obligate) myco-heterotrophy exists when a non-photosynthetic plant (a plant largely lacking in chlorophyll or otherwise lacking a functional photosystem) gets all of its food from the fungi that it parasitizes. Partial (or facultative) myco-heterotrophy exists when a plant is capable of photosynthesis, but parasitizes fung ...
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Angiosperm
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed within a fruit. The group was formerly called Magnoliophyta. Angiosperms are by far the most diverse group of land plants with 64 orders, 416 families, approximately 13,000 known genera and 300,000 known species. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of broad-leaved trees, shrubs and vines, and most aquatic plants. Angiosperms are distinguished from the other major seed plant clade, the gymnosperms, by having flowers, xylem consisting of vessel elements instead of tracheids, endosperm within their seeds, and fruits that completely envelop the seeds. The ancestors of flowering plants diverged from the common ancestor of all living gymnosperms before the end of the ...
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Haustorium
In botany and mycology, a haustorium (plural haustoria) is a rootlike structure that grows into or around another structure to absorb water or nutrients. For example, in mistletoe or members of the broomrape family, the structure penetrates the host's tissue and draws nutrients from it. In mycology, it refers to the appendage or portion of a parasitic fungus (the hyphal tip), which performs a similar function. Microscopic haustoria penetrate the host plant's cell wall and siphon nutrients from the space between the cell wall and plasma membrane but do not penetrate the membrane itself. Larger (usually botanical, not fungal) haustoria do this at the tissue level. The etymology of the name corresponds to the Latin word '' haustor'' meaning ''the one who draws, drains or drinks'', and refers to the action performed by the outgrowth. In fungi Fungi in all major divisions form haustoria. Haustoria take several forms. Generally, on penetration, the fungus increases the surface ar ...
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Falcatifolium Taxoides
''Falcatifolium taxoides'' is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia, and is the only known host of its non-photosynthetic, possibly parasitic relative, '' Parasitaxus usta''. Etymology ''Falcatifolium'' means 'with sickle-shaped leaves', while ''taxoides'' means 'yew-like' (resembling ''Taxus ''Taxus'' is a genus of coniferous trees or shrubs known as yews in the family Taxaceae. Yews occur around the globe in temperate zones of the northern hemisphere, northernmost in Norway and southernmost in the South Celebes. Some populations ex ...'').Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 162, 372 References Podocarpaceae Least concern plants Endemic flora of New Caledonia Trees of New Caledonia Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Jean Antoine Arthur Gris Taxa named by Adolphe-Théodore Brongniart Taxa named by David John de Laubenfels {{conif ...
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Root
In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the surface of the soil, but roots can also be aerial root, aerial or aerating, that is, growing up above the ground or especially above water. Function The major functions of roots are absorption of water, plant nutrition and anchoring of the plant body to the ground. Types of Roots (major rooting system) Plants exhibit two main root system types: ''taproot'' and ''fibrous'', with variations like adventitious, aerial, and buttress roots, each serving specific functions. Taproot System Characterized by a single, main root growing vertically downward, with smaller lateral roots branching off. Examples. Dandelions, carrots, and many dicot plants. Fibrous RootSystem Consists of a network of thin, branching roots that spread out from ...
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Gymnosperm
The gymnosperms ( ; ) are a group of woody, perennial Seed plant, seed-producing plants, typically lacking the protective outer covering which surrounds the seeds in flowering plants, that include Pinophyta, conifers, cycads, Ginkgo, and gnetophyta, gnetophytes, forming the clade Gymnospermae. The term ''gymnosperm'' comes from the composite word in ( and ), and literally means 'naked seeds'. The name is based on the unenclosed condition of their seeds (called ovules in their unfertilized state). The non-encased condition of their seeds contrasts with the seeds and ovules of flowering plants (angiosperms), which are enclosed within an Ovary (botany), ovary. Gymnosperm seeds develop either on the surface of scales or Leaf, leaves, which are often modified to form Conifer cone, cones, or on their own as in Taxus, yew, ''Torreya'', and ''Ginkgo''. The life cycle of a gymnosperm involves alternation of generations, with a dominant diploid sporophyte phase, and a reduced haploid gam ...
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Parasitic Plant
A parasitic plant is a plant that derives some or all of its nutritional requirements from another living plant. They make up about 1% of angiosperms and are found in almost every biome. All Parasite, parasitic plants develop a specialized organ called the haustorium, which penetrates the host plant, connecting them to the host vasculature—either the xylem, phloem, or both. For example, plants like ''Striga'' or ''Rhinanthus'' connect only to the xylem, via xylem bridges (xylem-feeding). Alternately, plants like ''Cuscuta'' and some members of ''Orobanche'' connect to both the xylem and phloem of the host. This provides them with the ability to extract resources from the host. These resources can include water, nitrogen, carbon and/or sugars. Parasitic plants are classified depending on the location where the parasitic plant latches onto the host (root or stem), the amount of nutrients it requires, and their photosynthetic capability. Some parasitic plants can locate their host ...
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