This parasitic plant convinces hosts to grow into its own flesh--it's also an extreme example of genome shrinkage

ScienceDaily
Sep 21, 2023, 3:45 pm176 pts
Balanophora shed one third of its genes as it evolved into a streamlined parasitic plant -- an extreme degree of genome shrinkage even among parasites. Along the way this subtropical plant developed the ability to induce the host plant to grow into the parasite's own flesh -- forming chimeric organs that mix…

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