Question

Which of the following is a partial root parasite?
A. Sandalwood
B. Mistetone
C. Orobanche
D. Ganoderma

Answer 1

Hint: A parasitic plant is a plant from which another living plant receives some or all of its nutritional requirements. They make up about 1% of angiosperm and are present in almost every biome.

Complete Answer:
- All parasitic plants have modified roots, called haustoria, that penetrate the host plant, either the xylem, the phloem, or both, connecting them to the conductive system. This gives them the capacity to harvest the host's water and nutrients.
- Depending on the place where the parasitic plant latches on to the host and the number of nutrients it requires, parasitic plants are classified.
- As it photosynthesizes its own food but taps the roots of other species for water and inorganic nutrients, Santalum album is a partial root parasite. Therefore, it relies only partly on the host. It grows on the roots of Dalbergia, Albizzia, and Eucalyptus.

So the answer is “Option A”.

Additional Information: The following are characterised by parasitic plants:
- Obligate parasite: A parasite that without a host will not complete its life cycle.
- Facultative parasite: A parasite independent of a host that can complete its life cycle.
- Stem parasite: A parasite that binds to the stem of the host.
- Root parasite: A parasite attached to the root of the host.
- Hemiparasite: A plant-parasitic, but to some degree photosynthetic, under natural conditions. Only water and mineral nutrients from the host plant can be obtained by hemiparasites; many also receive at least part of their organic nutrients from the host.
- Holoparasite: A parasitic plant which derives from the host plant all its fixed carbon. Holoparasites, which typically lack chlorophyll, are also colours other than green.

Note: Mistletoe is an example of hemiparasite. It receives a part of food from a host plant. Orobanche is a type of holoparasite. Ganoderma is a fungus that lives by feeding either as saprobes or as parasites on the trees.