Hydnora africana

 

🪴 Introduction

 The Underground Oddity

Hydnora africana is a holoparasitic flowering plant native to southern Africa. Unlike most plants, it is completely leafless, lacks chlorophyll, and lives almost entirely underground, relying entirely on its host plants—typically species of Euphorbia—for nutrients and water . .

Life Beneath the Soil

.Only the root-like rhizomes penetrate the host’s root system using structures called haustoria. These thick, warty subterranean stems spread around the host, remaining hidden from view unless a flower is about to bloom .

After heavy rainfall, the plant finally sends up a fleshy flower that can reach 10–15 cm above ground. It features a brown‑gray, cracked exterior and a vivid salmon to orange interior, with three fused perianth segments forming the floral structure .

Pollination: A Deceptive Trap

Hydnora’s flower emits a powerful, putrid odor—reminiscent of feces or rotting meat—to attract dung and carrion beetles . These beetles are lured through narrow openings covered with thread-like hairs. Once inside, downward-pointing bristles temporarily trap them so they collect pollen before eventually escaping when the flower relaxes and opens fully . This brood‑site mimicry is a clever pollination strategy that ensures effective pollen transfer .

Fruit and Seed Dispersal

After pollination, an underground berry develops slowly over months—sometimes taking up to two years to fully mature . The fruit is a leathery, starchy, edible berry roughly 3–8 cm across, with a jelly-like pulp loaded with many tiny seeds (20,000+ per fruit) .

It attracts animals like jackals, baboons, porcupines, birds, and even rhinos or elephants in certain regions, which help spread its seeds through consumption and excretion .

Cultural & Ethnobotanical Uses

. Locally known as jakkalskos (“jackal food”) or bobbejaankos (“baboon food”), the plant’s fruit, roots, and extracts have been used traditionally in South Africa and elsewhere  . Uses include:

Food: The fruit consumed by indigenous people, described as sweet or starchy, sometimes mixed with cream for desserts  .

Medicine: Extracts used to treat conditions like dysentery, kidney and bladder ailments; dried roots used as astringents or in tanning leather  .

Commercial: Fresh roots sold in street markets in parts of South Africa  .

Conservation & Rarity

Although intriguing, Hydnora africana is not globally endangered and is relatively widespread across suitable hosts in southern and eastern Africa—especially in dry ecosystems like the Succulent Karoo, Fynbos, and Albany Thicket  . However, its secretive life cycle and dependency on rainfall and host presence make actual sightings rare  .

🌿 Fascinating Highlights

Feature	Details
Chlorophyll & Leaves	Absent—relies entirely on host plant roots
Flower Appearance	Fungus-like, fleshy, bright orange interior visible briefly above-ground
Pollinators	Carrion/dung beetles entrapped briefly for pollen transfer
Fruit	Edible underground berry, high in starch, many tiny seeds
Traditional Uses	Food, medicine, tanning, sold in local markets

Final Thoughts

Hydnora africana is not just one of the strangest plants in Africa—it may well be one of nature’s boldest evolutionary experiments. Completely discarding photosynthesis in favor of parasitism, living mostly underground, relying on foul scent-based deception, and potentially thriving for years between blooms… it's truly a botanical mystery come to life.

Exploring Hydnora offers insight into ecological specialization, plant-insect interactions, and ethnobotany. And yet, so much remains to be discovered—its slow, hidden existence poses challenges to understanding and even propagating it.