Have you ever heard of the African Hydnora? Also known as "jackal food" or "Jakkalskos", this plant surprises with its appearance, its unusual biology, its smell, and its fascinating adaptations. Considered by many experts as one of the The rarest and most enigmatic plants in the world, Hydnora africana challenges conventional wisdom about what a plant should be: it lives underground, lacks leaves and chlorophyll, is parasitic, and its flower could easily be mistaken for the mouth of an alien creature.
This extensive article compiles and expands all the essential and curious information about the Hydnora africana: its Botanical characteristics, natural history, morphology and life cycle, pollination, traditional uses, habitats and all kinds of scientific and surprising data which makes it one of the greatest botanical mysteries yet to be unraveled.
Origin, distribution and habitat of Hydnora africana
Hydnora africana is native to the arid and semi-arid regions of southern Africa., being especially common in countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. There are also records of its presence in some parts of Madagascar and the Arabian Peninsula, successfully adapting to harsh and dry ecosystems where very few plants could survive.
Its habitat is characterized by Extreme climates, nutrient-poor sandy soils, and chronic water shortagesTo survive, the Hydnora africana has developed a specialized parasitic relationship with host plants, especially species in the Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae families. It attaches to and penetrates the roots of these plants, obtaining water and essential nutrients from them. This adaptation allows it to thrive where other species would fail.
Most of the plant remains hidden underground during much of its life cycle, which reinforces the difficulty of finding and studying it. The flower only emerges on very specific occasions and for brief periods.
Taxonomy and evolutionary kinship
african hydnora It belongs to the kingdom Plantae (plants), division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Piperales, and family Hydnoraceae, although recent studies place it within the family Aristolochiaceae based on genetic analysis. The genus Hydnora includes several species, but the African species is the most widespread and recognized.
For a long time, the strange morphology of this plant caused it to be included in other groups, such as the Rafflesiales (which also includes the famous Rafflesia, the largest flowers in the world). However, modern genetics places it in an evolutionarily very basal among flowering plants, which means that it retains primitive characteristics of the evolutionary process that led angiosperms to diversify.
This kinship is also reflected in their reproductive biology and pollination mechanisms, very similar to those of plants of the genus Aristolochia.
What does the African Hydnora look like? Morphology and life cycle
Hydnora africana defies any preconceived notion of what a plant looks like. Almost all of its structure develops underground, and only the flower emerges to the surfaceThe rest of the organism, composed of fleshy underground stems, modified roots and nodules, maintains intimate contact with the roots of the host plant, which it parasitizes efficiently.
The main body has no leaves or chlorophyll, and appears as a collection of tan, grayish, or brownish organs, with a fleshy texture and crisscrossed with warts and angulations. These structures, only a few centimeters thick, are intertwine with the roots of the host through haustoria, taking advantage of its sap and resources.
The flower, its most recognizable organ, is a fleshy, deep reddish or orange structure initially held together by its "petals" (though technically they are segments of the perianth). As it matures, the flower opens into three or four vertical lobes, or "petals," exposing the interior. Its shape and color resemble exposed flesh, which contributes to its comparison with a monstrous mouth or an alien mushroom.
As for size, the flower can measure between 10 and 15 cm high and about 4 to 5 cm wide at the base. However, the most notable feature of this plant is its intensely unpleasant odor, a combination of feces and rotting meat, emitted to attract suitable pollinators.
An organism without photosynthesis
Unlike the vast majority of plants, Hydnora africana does not carry out photosynthesisIt lacks leaves and pigments such as chlorophyll. It obtains all its energy from its host plants. Its morphology is radically reduced, having lost every organ not essential to its parasitic lifestyle: no leaves, no aerial stems, and no independently functioning roots.
In their cells there are still types of plastids (organelles characteristic of plant cells), such as amyloplasts (store starch) or chromoplasts (store pigments), but there are no functional chloroplasts.
Underground development and flowering
The life cycle of Hydnora africana is especially particular and, on many occasions, the flower can take up to a full year to form underground before emerging. During this entire period, it remains hidden and unnoticed. It is only at the time of flowering, which coincides with dry periods, that the "bud" appears above the surface to release its intense scent and attract pollinators.
The pollination process: traps, heat and mimicry
The pollination system of Hydnora africana is a prodigious example of coevolution and mimicry in the plant world. Its reproductive biology has been classified as «breeding site mimicry with imprisonment», in which the plant simulates the conditions of an optimal place for laying beetle eggs, which are primarily responsible for its pollination.
The fetid aroma The flower's scent mimics the smell of carrion or dung, which is irresistibly attractive to carrion and dung beetles. In addition to scent, the flower is capable of generate heat through metabolic processes not yet fully understood, accentuating the deception by simulating a real decomposing organic mass.
When insects enter the flower, it closes and catches them for one or two days by means of bristles and rigid internal structures, keeping them captive while they feed on the whitish decomposing bodies that the plant produces as "bait."
In their attempt to escape, the beetles move through the tubular interior of the perianth and become covered in pollen. After this process, the flower opens again, releasing them so they can search for other flowers and complete the reproductive cycle.
- This method of pollination is considered one of the most advanced and specialized among parasitic plants., and closely resembles that used by species of the genus Aristolochia.
The reproductive cycle: fruits and seeds
After pollination, the plant develops underground fruits, spherical in shape and variable in size (they can reach up to 8 cm in diameter). These fruits are only produced in the dry season and, unlike the flower, they are edible for both animals and humans.
A single fruit can contain up to 20.000 seeds Brown, embedded in a gelatinous, aromatic pulp. Various animals such as monkeys, rhinoceroses, jackals, and rodents actively seek them out, spreading the seeds when they are consumed.
The pulp's flavor is described as very sweet, with hints of starch. This fruit has traditionally been used in some African cultures as a food, and also for medicinal purposes.
Extraordinary curiosities about the African Hydnora
- The flower of Hydnora africana is completely underground until ripe, emerging only under optimal conditions, which greatly complicates their observation and study in nature.
- Its smell is so intense that it can be perceived from several meters away., alerting you to its presence long before you see it.
- The appearance and study of this plant has given rise to numerous legends and myths in Africa, being feared, respected and used in rituals.
- It is considered one of the oldest and most primitive living species among flowering plants., with adaptations that have barely changed in millions of years.
Traditional uses and applications of Hydnora africana
Source: curiosities.com
Despite its unattractive appearance and aroma, Hydnora africana has had some importance in African ethnobotany:
- The underground fruit is used as food by wild animals and people, being a source of sugars and starch in periods of scarcity.
- The Plant parts can be used to tan hides (natural tanning agents), produce charcoal and as a base for dyes.
- In traditional medicine the plant, especially the roots, has been used as natural remedy for diarrhea and to treat various digestive conditions.
- Some cultures have used it to make pharmaceutical products for local use.
However, its use is limited to very specific communities and it does not play a significant role in modern nutrition or standardized medicine.
Is it possible to have an African Hydnora in the home or garden?
The uniqueness and rarity of Hydnora africana may tempt collectors and exotic plant enthusiasts to try growing it at home. However, its home cultivation is extremely difficult and is reserved practically for experimental botanical gardens or specialists in the field.
The reasons for this difficulty are several:
- Plant requires a compatible living host (usually a native Euphorbia) to develop, which involves sacrificing part of the host plant.
- The intense bad smell of the flower makes their presence in closed or shared spaces not advisable.
- Growth and flowering are very slow, and can take years to manifest Over the surface.
- The seeds available on the market are scarce and difficult to germinate.
In case someone decides to try it, experts recommend:
- Provide a very sandy substrate, well drained and low in organic matter.
- Simulate a dry, warm environment with strong thermal fluctuations.
- Strictly respect the association with the host plant and avoid excess humidity.
Hydnora africana: carnivorous or parasitic?
For a long time, Hydnora africana was described in publications and by hobbyists as a "carnivorous plant" due to its ability to catch insects in its prime. However, does not feed on them, neither digests them nor obtains nutrients from their bodies. Its sole function is to ensure pollination.
Therefore, it should be considered a parasitic, non-carnivorous plant, although its pollination method bears certain superficial similarities to the "traps" of true carnivorous plants.
The scientific mystery of Hydnora africana
Despite the growing interest in Hydnora africana, it is still There are still great unknowns unresolved about this species: how it selects its host, how it produces heat during flowering, the exact process of chlorophyll loss, and the evolution of its life cycle. Even the study of its genome (particularly the plastome of some species in the genus) can provide important clues to understanding the evolution of plant parasitism among flowering plants.
- Only 1% of flowering plants are parasitic., and Hydnora africana represents one of the most fascinating and relatively primitive examples among them.
Hydnora africana is a true botanical rarity that challenges all established norms of plant biologyIts unique life cycle, adaptations, scent, shape, and relationship with its environment make it an emblematic species for the study of evolution, parasitism, and plant-animal interaction. And although its peculiarities discourage its domestic cultivation, observing its flowering in nature remains one of the greatest spectacles and enigmas of the plant world.