Balanophora latisepala is a new record of Balanophoraceae. Some XTBG researchers found the new species in Xishuangbanna in 2014 for the first time.

Balanophora latisepala in the family Balanophoraceae are parasitic on the roots of Phyllanthus emblica(family Phyllanthaceae). It’s distributed in Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos.

Balanophora is a genus belonging to the family Balanophoraceae which possesses about 120 species all over the world. Many of them distribute in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Oceania, and nearly 20 species are widely ranged in southwest of China. These types of dioeciously parasitic plants are normally growing on the roots of the evergreen broadleaf trees, especially in the family of Leguminosae, Ericaceae, Urticaceae, and Fagaceae. Species in this genus have miscellaneous biological properties such as clearing away heat and toxic, neutralizing the effect of alcoholic drinks, and used as a tonic for the treatment of hemorrhoids, stomachache and hemoptysis by local people in China.

Here are a few pictures of the new record species: Balanophora latisepala.

(Images by Pan Bo)