Balanophora indica

Balanophora indica (Arn.) Griff. ( Syn: …………………); as per Catalogue of Life;

Balanophora fungosa subsp. indica (Arn.) B.Hansen, Dansk Bot. Ark. 28: 100 1972. (Syn: Balaniella pedicellaris (Schltr.) Hosok.; Balaniella sphaerica Tiegh.; Balanophora annamensis S.Moore; Balanophora bonii Tiegh.; Balanophora burmannica Griff.; Balanophora cryptocaudex S.Y.Chang & P.C.Tam; Balanophora decurrens Fawc.; Balanophora elkinsii Blatt.; Balanophora fungosa var. indica (Arn.) B.Hansen; Balanophora gracilis Tiegh.; Balanophora indica (Arn.) Griff.; Balanophora indica var. agastyamalayana M.B.Viswan. & Prem Kumar & N.Ramesh; Balanophora indica var. tirunelveliensis M.B.Viswan. & Prem Kumar & N.Ramesh; Balanophora latipes Tiegh.; Balanophora pedicellaris Schltr.; Balanophora pentamera Tiegh.; Balanophora picta Griff.; Balanophora picta Miq. ex Eichler; Balanophora pierrei Tiegh.; Balanophora saxicola W.F.Xing & Z.X.Li; Balanophora simaoensis S.Y.Chang & P.C.Tam; Balanophora sphaerica (Tiegh.) Lecomte; Balanophora splendida P.C.Tam & D.Fang; Balanophora thwaitesii Eichler; Balanophora typhina Wall. ex Fawc. [Illegitimate]; Bivolva gracilis Tiegh.; Langsdorffia indica Arn.) as per The Plant List Ver.1.1;

China (SE-Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan), India (Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu), Philippines (Luzon), Vietnam, peninsular Malaysia (fairly widespread), Sumatra, Australia (N-Queensland: Cape York peninsula), Sri Lanka, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Micronesia (Truk, Moen, Tol), Southern Marianas (Guam), Myanmar [Burma] (Chin, Kayin, Mandalay, Taninthayi) as per Catalogue of Life;
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Dioecious, parasitic herbs, 10-25 cm high. Rootstock warted with lenticels. Stem stout, short, cylindric, 1.5-2 cm diam. Leafy bracts 2.5-3.5 x 1.5-2 cm, ovate to sub orbicular, obtuse at apex, purple. Male inflorescence obovoid, dense raceme, 5-10 cm long, 3-6 cm wide. Flowers small, 0.4-0.6 cm long. Perianth lobes 2-6, white. Stamens 2-6 or more; filaments united. Female inflorescence globose heads, 2-5 cm diam., bright red in colour. Perianth 0. Ovary ellipsoid, minute.

Flowering and fruiting: January-March

Evergreen forests

Indo-Malesia and Australia

(Attributions- Dr. N Sasidharan (Dr. B P Pal Fellow), Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi

From India Biodiversity Portal)

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For ID 170320014 – SS- Is it Balanophora : 11 posts by 7 authors. Attachments(3).
Location: Kalakkad Mundanthurai WLS, Tamilnadu
Date : unknown
Is it a species of Balanophora ? Pls. validate.

Probably B. abrreviata

Please consider Balanophora indica.

This should be Balanophora indica var. tirunelveliensis taxon described from KMTR, Thirunnelveli. But as per Plantlists and IPNI which is synonymized under B. fungosa J. R. & G. Forst. ssp. indica (Arn.) Hansen.

It looks like Balanophora fungosa….

Balanophora fungosa J. R. Forster & G. Forster

This seems to be Balanophora indica (Arn.) Griff. var. agastyamalayana Visw. et al., in Rheedea 10(2): 121, f.1. 2000, which has been discovered and described from Kalakkad – Mundandurai Tiger Reserve, in Tirunelveli dist. of Tamil Nadu.

Balanophora from Mahabaleswar : 7 posts by 5 authors. Attachments (4).
Seen this Balanophora plenty @ Mahabaleswar

Balanophora species so far in efi

Please check with Balanophora fungosa

The plant should be: Balanophora fungosa J.R. & G. Forst. ssp. indica B. Hansen

this must surely qualify as a mimicker .. a plant life that looks like an animal form, at least at the first glance
I so very much reminds me of a hedge hod all rolled up

Have you found out this recently or in some other season?

Balanophora fungosa (Balanophoraceae) : 5 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (3)- around 1 mb each.
The parasitic plant grows on host plants grows in the undergrowth of dense canopy

Balanophora fungosa, (Balanaphoraceae)

Karnataka Coorg 2018 December

I think more closer to images at Balanophora indica (Arn.) Griff. rather than those at Balanophora fungosa J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.

at Mizoram (November-2008);

Balanophora Sp.. – indiantreepix | Google Groups

374 ID wild plant: 15 high res. images.
Please ID wild plant,
Location: near Vannappuram, Thodupuzha, Idukki Dist., Kerala PIN:685607
Altitude: 1500fsl
Flower date: 05OCT2022, 04.25pm
Habitat: wild moisture, wet soil, misty evergreen hill forest, no sunlight
Plant habit: globular cluster immature yellowish 03cm diameter, rosette matured un branched, stem not visible, annual
Height: 08cm
Leaves: no leaves
Flower: globular racemose clustered, diameter:10mm, off white, lite fragrance
Fruit:
Seed: