Balanophora fungosa

Balanophora fungosa J.R.Forst. & G.Forst., Char. Gen. Pl. 50 1775. (syn: Balanophora forsteri Tiegh.; Balanophora fungosa f. extratropica F.M.Bailey; Balanophora fungosa var. kuroiwai Makino; Balanophora fungosa var. mariannae (Hosok.) Hosok.; Balanophora kuroiwai (Makino) Makino; Balanophora mariannae Hosok.; Balanophora micholitzii Ridl.; Cynomorium australe Hook.f.; Cynomorium balanophora Willd.; Cynomorium fungosum Raeusch. ex Steud.; Cynomorium parasiticum Sw. ex Steud.);
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Tropical & Subtropical Asia to W. Pacific: Assam, Borneo, Cambodia, Caroline Is., China South-Central, China Southeast, Fiji, Hainan, India, Jawa, Laos, Malaya, Marianas, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Philippines, Queensland, Solomon Is., Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis-Futuna Is. as per POWO;

Balanophora from Vietnam_RKC_03_25042011:
Balanophora from Vietnam (could be B. fungosa). Pl validate.

Loc.: HonBa Natural Reserve, Vietnam
Date: 12th April, 2011.

– This is 100% Balanophora fungosa when it comes out of the ground it will turn cream white in colour .. few week back one my friend out here went for Vietnam trip he too brought back the photo of this plant… he mistaking thought this to be a mushroom

– That reminds me of a similar plant my friend brought back from trip in J & K. For few days we thought it to be a fungus till we finally identified it as Balanophora involucrata. I published this as popular science article
under the title “A flowering mushroom”.

– So this is clear that not only my friend but quite a few people mistake this plant as a mushroom!