Old Dominion University
A to Z Index  |  Directories


Plant Site

Hydnora Literature

Bolin, J. F., Lupton, D., & Musselman, L. J. (2018). Hydnora ­arabica (Aristolochiaceae), a new species from the Arabian Peninsula and a key to Hydnora. Phytotaxa, 338(1), 99-108.  

Tennakoon KU, Bolin JF, Musselman LJ. 2006. Hydnora Euphorbia association: a model to investigate osmotic relationships of parasitic plants. Proceedings of the Association of South Eastern Biologists, Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 53(2): 224.

Tennakoon KU, Bolin JF, Musselman LJ. 2005 "Pilot roots" of Hydonra triceps and H. africana are stems. Proceedings of the Botanical Society of America (Austin, Texas), August, 2005: 43

Bolin JF, Musselman LJ Tennakoon KU. 2005 Floral biology of three Namibian Hydnora (Hydnoraceae) Proceedings of the Botanical Society of America, (Austin, Texas), August, 2005: 56-57.

Hydnora is one of the strangest plant genera in the world. Hydnora spends the life below the soil, except when flowering of some species. It is almost entirely African in distribution. The plant consists of an extensive network that traverses the soil around the host plants (mainly Euphorbia and Acacia spp.). Hydnora spp. are without chlorophyll and completely dependent on hosts for nutrition and water. Even though a number of studies have been conducted on the morphology and the habit of this genus, very little is known about the functional attributes and the growth and development. We selected H. triceps and H. africana for a comparative anatomical study to unravel the form and function of this genus. Here we report the cellular arrangement of vascular tissues, meristems, reproductive structures and the haustoria responsible for maintaining the intimate connections between Hydnora spp. and host plant roots for the acquisition of water and nutrients required for the survival of the parasite.

Tennakoon KU, Bolin JF, Musselman LJ. 2005 Functional attributes of the root holoparasitic genus Hydnora.Proceedings of the Association of South Eastern Biologists, Florence, Alabama. 52(2)160-161.

Musselman, L. J. [1992]. Hydnoraceae. Flora of Arabia. Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. Accepted for publication.


Musselman, L. J. 1999. Hydnoraceae. pages 56-58 in Hedberg, I. and Dmissew, S., Editors.

Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea. University of Uppsala, Sweden. in press.



Musselman, L. J. 1998. Hydnoraceae. Pages 16-18 in: G. V. Pope, editor, Flora Zambesiaca. Volume Nine Part Two. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.



Musselman, L. J. 1995. Hydnoraceae. The World of Plants. Weekly Encyclopedia 40(1/22): 103-105. Six photographs. Asahi Simbun Publishers. [In Japanese].



Musselman, L. J. 2000. Hydnoraceae. Flowering Plant Families of Tropical America. New York Botanical Garden. Accepted for publication.



Musselman, L. J. 2000. Hydnoraceae. in: S. Chaudhary, Editor. Flora of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Vol. II (Part 2). National Herbarium of Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Agriculture and Water, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (in press).



Musselman, L. J. 1992. Hydnoraceae. pages 30-31 in: Thulin, M., editor. Flora of Somalia. Volume 1. Pteridophyta; Gymnospermae; Angiospermae (Annonaceae-Fabaceae). Royal Botanic Gardens:Kew. 493 pages. +viii.



Musselman, L. J. 1991. The genus Hydnora (Hydnoraceae). pp 247-250 in Ransom, J. K., L. J. Musselman, A. D. Worsham and C.Parker, eds. 1991. Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium of Parasitic Weeds. 550 pp +ix. Nairobi: The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).



Musselman, L. J. and J. H. Visser. 1989. Taxonomy and natural history of Hydnora (Hydnoraceae). Aliso 12(2): 317-326.



Musselman, L. J. and J. H. Visser. 1987. Hydnora johannis in southern Africa. Dinteria 19: 77-82.



Musselman, L. J. 1984. Parasitic angiosperms of Sudan: Orobanchaceae, Hydnoraceae, and Cuscuta. Notes Royal Botanic Garden,Edinburgh 42: 21-39.



Visser, J. H. and L. J. Musselman. 1986. The strangest plant in the world. Veld and Flora. December 1986/January 1987: 109-111.