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Odd new parasitic plant
newscientist.com/article/23552

They lack leaves because they don’t perform photosynthesis to stay alive. Instead, they leach their nutrients from the roots of host plants. They are native to Africa and the Arabian peninsula, and their warty stems mostly remain hidden underground. However, once a year after heavy rains, fleshy flowers resembling thick-skinned papaya burst out. Once fully opened, the flowers produce an odour of faeces to attract pollinating dung beetles.

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