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Triuris family
Triuridaceae
ホンゴウソウ科
A small family in which all species are mycoheterotrophic (saprophytic), growing on dim forest floors in tropical and subtropical regions. Lacking chlorophyll, the aboveground parts consist only of flowering stems bearing reddish to white flowers. Found in the Philippines, Malaysia, and similar regions.
Key Characteristics
- ●Completely achlorophyllous mycoheterotrophic (saprophytic) plants
- ●Leaves reduced to scales
- ●Flowers unisexual or bisexual; tepals often with long appendages
- ●Underground stems depend on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrition
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Growth form
Herb
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Petal count
3 petals
Ovary position
Superior
Plant sex
Dioecious / Hermaphrodite / Monoecious
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Monocots > Pandanales > Triuridaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Transition to a fully mycoheterotrophic lifestyle within monocots
- ・Evolution of pollinator attraction through specialized tepals (appendages and glandular hairs)
Plants in Triuris family on this site
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