Plantsnap – Identify Plants, Trees, Mushrooms With An App

Balanophora coralliformis (Balanophora coralliformis)

Description

Balanophora coralliformis, sometimes known as coral plant, is a flowering plant in the family Balanophoraceae and is only known from Mount Mingan on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Like others in its genus, it is an obligate parasite growing on the roots of rainforest trees, but differs in that its tuber appears above ground and has an elongated, repeatedly branched, coral-like structure. It was first described in 2014 and is known from fewer than 50 plants, but has not as yet been declared endangered.

Taxonomic tree

  • Domain: Eukarya

    • Kingdom: Plantae

      • Phylum:

        • Class: Magnoliopsida

          • Order: Santalales

            • Family: Balanophoraceae

              • Genus: Balanophora