Parasitic Plants of Skopelos

Παραστικά Φυτά του Σκοέλου

31 Oct 2024

 

Halloween seems an appropriate time to consider the parasitic plants of Skopelos. These plants are often referred to as vampire plants as they derive nutrition by sucking food and water from other plants. They have no roots or green leaves and are not able to photosynthesise to convert light energy into fuel.

Orobanche amethystea    Limodorum abortivum

Phelipanche ramosa   Cuscuta campestris

Parasitic plants come in many forms from the curious broomrape Orobanche amethysta,  field dodder Cuscuta campestris, with its web of tangled yellow stems, the pretty purple and white dwarf broomrape Phelipanche ramosa, small white flowers with red leaves Cytinus ruber and the elegant violet bird’s nest orchid Limodorum abortivum. The plants of the broomrape family and the dodders all have a specialised organ called a haustorium which attaches to the host plant to extract nutrition. This inevitable causes harm and these plants can be very destructive of valuable crops.

Cytinus ruber exists for most of its life cycle as filaments within the roots of the pink or white rock roses Cistus cretica and Cistus salvifolia, emerging above ground only when flowering. The bird’s nest orchid exists underground as a tangled mass of fibres It relies entirely on a specialised fungus, microrrhiza, which in turn depends on the fir tree roots to provide nutrients. it appears in the forest only occasionally as a violet flower spike.

The parasitic plants have attracted common names reflecting their sinister reputation; Cuscuta campestris is sometimes called devil’s threads and Phelipanche lavandulaca as lavender rape. The Greek name for most of these plants is agriolikos αγριόλυκος, meaning wild wolf, an epithet which seems to particularly suit the hairy broomrape (Orobanche pubescens). The cistus parasite Cytinus ruber has however been given a more gentle name by Skopelitians, who refer to it as hen and chicks koto kai avga - κότο και αυγά.