The haustorium and the life cycles of parasitic Orobanchaceae

Abstract

The haustorium is a key organ of all parasitic plants. It penetrates host tissues and serves as the bridge facilitating the withdrawal of part or all of the parasite's nutritional needs from the conductive systems of host plants. This chapter presents a general description of the haustorium and its functions, and the life cycles of obligate and facultative parasites of the Orobanchaceae that differ not only in their ability or inability to photosynthesize but also in the position, structure, and function of their haustoria and in their germination requirements.