Fungus Root
Balanophora fungosa subsp. indica
- Habit
- Parasite
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala & more
- Flowering
- January-March
How to identify Fungus Root
Identify Fungus Root by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a parasite habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Fungus-like orange-red flowering body, root parasite.
- Confirm flower colour: White.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: January-March.
- In India, compare location records such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Balanophoraceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Fungus Root.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Balanophora fungosa subsp. indica
- Genus
- Balanophora
- Family
- Balanophoraceae
- Habit
- Parasite
- Habitat
- Root parasite
- Distribution
- India, China, Hainan, Malaya, Sumatra, Pacific Islands, Australia
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur
- Flowering & fruiting
- January-March
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded“About 20 male flowers are arranged around the base of the globe, each about 3–5 millimetres (0.1–0.2 in) in diameter with a pedicel about 5–6 millimetres (0.20–0.24 in) long and ar” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Fruit
- Drupe
Characters marked “recorded” are for Fungus Root itself; the rest are typical of the Balanophoraceae family — flowering plants only.
About Fungus Root
A member of the Balanophoraceae family, Fungus root (Balanophora fungosa subsp. indica) is a parasitic plant. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and 2 other states. It grows in root parasite. Flowering and fruiting run from January to March.
Balanophoraceae
Balanophora Family
Fungus Root belongs to the Balanophoraceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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