Septemeranthus                                                             

                                                        Copyright infringement is not intended

Context: A new genus of a parasitic flowering plant has recently been discovered from the Nicobar group of islands.

• Name of newly discovered parasitic flowering plant: Septemeranthus
• Host plant species: It grows on the plant species Horsfieldia glabra(Blume) Warb.
• Special features:
• It have a modified root structure spread on the stem of the tree and are anchored inside the bark of the host tree.
• It has a distinct vegetative morphology, inflorescence architecture and floral characters.
• This genus is endemic only to the Nicobar group of islands.
• Habitation: The plant was found on the periphery of the tropical forest in one of the biodiversity hotspots referred to as the Nicobar group of islands separated from the Andaman group of Islands by a wide gap of 160 km with heavy tidal flows.
• Ecological role: They play an important role in providing food for frugivorous birds.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/new-genus-of-parasitic-flowering-plant-discovered-from-nicobar-islands/article38345955.ece