Sagehen's Parasitic and Carnivorous Plants, and Plant Pathogens

Some of these plants are root parasites, some phloem and/or xylem parasites, some eat bugs. In the case of the protocarnivores, we're not completely sure what they are doing.

Some of the things on this list are plant pathogens or produce galls. Rusts use other plants as intermediate hosts.

A parasitic plant is a plant that derives some or all of its nutritional requirement from another living plant. They make up about 1% of angiosperms, and occur in almost all biomes. All parasitic plants have modified roots, called haustoria, which penetrate the host plants, connecting the parasite to the host's conductive system.

Some of these plants have chlorophyll and can also photosynthesize, some can't.

Carnivorous plants (and fungi) derive some or most of their nutrients--but not energy--from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods.

You may wish to add slime molds and snow molds to this list. Though little is know about the ones at Sagehen, some of these creatures are known to actively hunt (yikes!). less ↑