Dr. Zaiton Sapak from Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia delivered material on parasitic plants in the Parasitology Lecture Sharing session (3/10). Parasitic plants, or parasitic plants, are organisms that settle on host plants through special organs. “This special organ develops and penetrates the host’s vascular tissue and meets the nutritional, water, and mineral needs of the host plant,” began Dr. Zaiton Sapak. It is said that nearly 4,500 species in 28 families, representing 1% of all angiosperm species, utilize the vascular systems of other plants to meet their nutritional needs.

Sharing session guided by Purwatiningsih, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D. The lecturer at the Department of Biology also explained that parasitic plants are divided into several types, seen as being photosynthetically active (hemiparasites), lacking photosynthetic activity, completely bound to the host for carbon (holoparasites), optional or obligate parasites, and attached to the roots or stems of their hosts. “Parasitic plants” grow in agroecosystems with low biodiversity, and their presence causes huge yield losses on agricultural land,” said Dr. Zaiton Sapak. Continue reading →