There are some plants that either have very limited or no rates of photosynthesis and yet they still produce flowers, are pollinated and produce fruit. These plants do not produce sugars on their own, rather they steal it from other plant. These are plant parasites. There are some parasites that do their own photosynthesis, such as mistletoe; however, there are others that don’t do any at all (or at least at very low rates). The Snow Plant, Sarcodes sanguine, found in the mountains in California parasitizes nearby trees’ roots and lives underground for most of its life. The name Sarcodes sanguine means flesh-like blood red. The only time you will see it is when it flowers, which generally occurs as or right after snow on the ground has melted. The floral stalk of this plant is bright red to attract pollinators, but it does not have any chlorophyll for photosynthesis. Also, there’s the plant parasite called dodder. Dodder is yellow in color and lives on top of other plants plants. It forms a net over the plant and has modified roots that tap into the shoots of host plants, much like a maple syrup farmer would tap the source of sugar from a maple tree.
Next time you find yourself under a sprig of mistletoe (this symbol of love) remember that this plant is a parasite that sucks the sweetness from a host plant. Oh yeah, and its fruit is poisonous too.
