The parasitic vine known as dodder really sucks. It pierces the tissue of other plants — some of which are important crops — extracting water and nutrients needed for its own growth. But it also ...

(THE CONVERSATION) A parasitic plant with potentially poisonous berries might not sound like something that would boost your Christmas decorations to the next level. But, botanically speaking, that’s ...

The Malaysian plant Rafflesia cantleyi is a parasite, attaching itself to another plant and deriving all its food from its unfortunate host. But Rafflesia doesn’t stop there. It swipes genes from its ...

Mistletoe is more than just a Yuletide kissing attraction; it plays a hugely important role in ecosystems. It is a parasitic plant — it takes water and nutrients from a host plant to survive — but it ...

Some parasitic plants can ‘steal’ genetic information from their hosts through horizontal gene transfer, which they then use to make themselves a better parasite. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a ...

Researchers have discovered how parasitic plants evolved the ability to detect and attack their hosts. Their findings could lead to new techniques to control the thieving weeds. An international team ...

Sneaky parasitic weeds may be able to steal genes from the plants they are attacking and then use those genes against the host plant, according to a team of scientists. Sneaky parasitic weeds may be ...

Revealing a sensitive germination receptor in parasitic plants brings researchers closer to eradicating a major source of African crop damage and food insecurity. From summer to autumn in sub-Saharan ...

Nematologists have long wondered how the the Northern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne hapla) is able to infect such a wide ...

Jack has a degree in Medical Genetics from the University of Leicester.View full profile Jack has a degree in Medical Genetics from the University of Leicester. This fierce red plant isn’t your ...

Strigolactones are a class of carotenoid‐derived phytohormones that play a pivotal role in regulating plant architecture and mediating interactions with both symbiotic organisms and parasitic plants.