Abstract
From trees to herbs, from vines to shrubs, and from the largest flower in the world to minuscule tissue masses within the host bark. Parasitic flowering plants have evolved 12 times independently, leading to a great diversity of species with different growth habits and ecological attributes. This peculiar lifestyle is characterized by the presence of a haustorium, the organ that connects parasite and host. The structural diversity of the haustorium parallels that of parasitic plants themselves and continues to instigate a broad range of studies. In this context, this seminar will discuss some of the unique aspects of the interaction between these parasites and their hosts, focusing on questions of plant morphological and physiological plasticity. Some of the most interesting ecological aspects stemming from such plasticity will also be discussed in the context of ecosystem services and health monitoring.
Brief Bio
Luiza Teixeira-Costa obtained her undergraduate degree in Biology at the Federal University of São Paulo (2011), and later graduated from both Master's (2015) and PhD (2019) degrees in Botany at the University of São Paulo. At present, she is a Junior Fellow at the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (Germany) and an Associate at the Harvard University Herbaria (USA). Her research combines field, laboratory, and collections-based approaches to analyze the structure, physiology, ecology, and evolution of parasitic flowering plants.
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