Rare "ghost plants" bloom in Yunnan, China

Rare "ghost plants" bloom in Yunnan, China

Rare "ghost plants" bloom in Yunnan, China

The genetic prison that traps a ghost plant

Leaves are critical to the survival of most plants. While they cost energy to build and are at risk of attack, these organs are vital to life, as through photosynthesis they capture the energy a plant needs to grow. But Monotropastrum humile, a ghost plant, does things differently. Monotropastrum humile gets its energy from fungi instead. Their roots tap into the local fungal network and pull everything they need from their hosts. That’s why the…