A plant genus of parasitic herbs that lack chlorophyll and obtain nutrients from host plants, native to tropical Asia.
From Greek 'balanos' (acorn) plus 'phore' (bearer). The name refers to the acorn-like appearance of the plant's structures.
Balanophores are complete parasites that have lost the ability to photosynthesize entirely—they're like plant vampires that depend totally on their hosts, showing us that not all plants need sunlight to survive.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.