"Extreme Parasitic Plant Balanophora: Insights into Convergent Evolution and Manipulative Host Interactions"

Researchers have sequenced and analyzed the genomes of Balanophora plants, which are extreme holoparasites that lack chlorophyll and obtain nutrients from host plants. The study reveals that Balanophora genomes have undergone convergent evolution with other parasitic plants, showing similar gene losses and adaptations. The findings provide new insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying parasite-host interactions and shed light on the evolution of plant parasitism.