The Hemiparasitic Orobanchaceae Research Team at the Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia work mostly on root‑hemiparasitic plants, i. e. green photosynthesic plants that however parasitize hosts by attaching to their roots.
Parasitic plants are plants acquiring some of the essential resources (water, mineral nutrients, organic carbon) by parasitic means.
Haustoria
Hausotria represent the key structure of parasitic plants dedicated to uptake of resources from the host plant.
Hemiparasite - host interactions
Root hemiparasites might look boring at the first sight – just as normal green plants. They however display a unique combination of ecological interactions based on parasitism below ground and competition for light above ground. Infection by hemiparasite can however substantially suppress growth and hence competitive ability of the host.
Ecosystem engineering
Root hemiparasites are currently not used for any “practical” purpose. Yet, they can act as ecosystem engineers suppressing aggressive species or weeds. We test the ability of rattle species (Rhinanthus) to parasitize and suppress wood small-reed (Calamagrostis epigejos) representing a major conservation issue due to its expansion to grassland communities.
Hemiparasites of Western Australia
The root hemiparasites occur worldwide, especially in temperate and subtropical regions. One of their diversity hostspots lies in Western Australia where many species of Santalaceae grow. Our team is involved in research of these interesting plants thanks to a cooperation with the University of Western Australia.
