How do parasitic plants reproduce?

Answer

Dear Laura,

Parasitic plants do not have to photosynthesize because they tap all their nutrients, including sugars, from their host’s sap stream. Their root system is reconfigured to penetrate a branch or root and connect to the tissue that carries the sap. So they don’t need to have leaves and no chlorophyll either. Stems of parasites are therefore usually white in color (e.g. broomrape, dodder). Not so for semi-parasites, to put it simply, they only extract water and minerals from the host, but still carry out photosynthesis themselves (eg mistletoe); in other words, they make their own sugars.

Furthermore, parasites and semi-parasites live just like all other plants. They get flowers that after fertilization develop into fruits with seeds in them. These are distributed in one way or another. (e.g. bird eats mistletoe berry, but because it sticks so hard, seed is wiped from branch: see video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQnaIZtbv18)

Sincerely

Koen Es