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''Parasitaxus usta'' is a rare 
The species was first described as ''Dacrydium ustum'' Vieill.; other synonyms include ''Podocarpus ustus'' (Vieill.) Brongn. & Gris, and ''Nageia usta'' (Vieill.)
Gymnosperm Database: ''Parasitaxus usta''
* Nickrent, D. (2006)
Parasitic Plants website: Is ''Parasitaxus '' Parasitic?
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13077228, from2=Q133097 Endemic flora of New Caledonia Near threatened plants Monotypic conifer genera Podocarpaceae genera Podocarpaceae
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of conifer
Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...
of the family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Podocarpaceae
Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, known in English as podocarps, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs.James E. Eckenwalder. 2009. ''Conifers of the World''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Pre ...
, and the sole species of the genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
''Parasitaxus''. It is a woody shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
up to 1.8 m found only in the remote, densely forested areas of New Caledonia
)
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, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
, first discovered and described by Vieillard in 1861.
It is generally mentioned that ''Parasitaxus usta'' is the only known parasitic
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has c ...
gymnosperm
The gymnosperms ( lit. revealed seeds) are a group of seed-producing plants that includes conifers, cycads, ''Ginkgo'', and gnetophytes, forming the clade Gymnospermae. The term ''gymnosperm'' comes from the composite word in el, γυμνό ...
. The species remarkably lacks root
In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the sur ...
s and is always found attached to the roots of ''Falcatifolium taxoides
''Falcatifolium taxoides'' is a species of conifer in the family Podocarpaceae. It is found only in New Caledonia, and is the only known host of its non-photosynthetic, possibly parasitic relative, ''Parasitaxus usta''.
Etymology
''Falcatifolium ...
'' (another member of the Podocarpaceae). However, the question is still left open, as the plant is in any case not a haustorial parasite, which is usually the case with angiosperm
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s. Certain experts therefore consider the plant as a myco-heterotroph
Myco-heterotrophy (from Greek μύκης , "fungus", ἕτερος ', "another", "different" and τροφή ', "nutrition") is a symbiotic relationship between certain kinds of plants and fungi, in which the plant gets all or part of its food fro ...
.
Molecular phylogenetic analysis also suggest affinities between ''Parasitaxus'' and the genera ''Manoao
''Manoao'' is a monotypic genus in the family ''Podocarpaceae.'' The single species, ''M. colensoi'', known as manoao (Māori), silver pine, Westland pine, or white silver pine, is endemic to New Zealand. Before 1996 it was classified in genu ...
'' (New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
) and ''Lagarostrobos
''Lagarostrobos franklinii'' is a species of conifer native to the wet southwestern corner of Tasmania, Australia. It is often known as the Huon pine or Macquarie pine, although it is actually a podocarp (Podocarpaceae), not a true pine (Pinace ...
'' (Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
). Parasitaxus has been shown to contain high levels of chlorophyll. However, a genome analysis shows that many genes for photosynthesis are missing from the parasite's plastid genome, strongly suggesting that ''Parasitaxus'' completely depends on its host for survival.
The species was first described as ''Dacrydium ustum'' Vieill.; other synonyms include ''Podocarpus ustus'' (Vieill.) Brongn. & Gris, and ''Nageia usta'' (Vieill.) Kuntze Kuntze is a surname of German origin. People with that name include:
* Carl Kuntze (1922-2006), Dutch rower who competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics
* Edward J. Kuntze (1826-1870), Prussian-born American sculptor
* Otto Kuntze (1843-1907), German ...
. The name is often cited as ''Parasitaxus ustus'', but this is grammatically incorrect, as, according to Latin, the genus name ''Parasitaxus'' is (like ''Taxus'') gender-feminine, with which the species name's gender must agree (Nickrent 2006). The scientific name translates as "Burnt Parasitic Yew."
Etymology
''Usta'' means 'parched'.Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 395References
Gymnosperm Database: ''Parasitaxus usta''
* Nickrent, D. (2006)
Parasitic Plants website: Is ''Parasitaxus '' Parasitic?
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13077228, from2=Q133097 Endemic flora of New Caledonia Near threatened plants Monotypic conifer genera Podocarpaceae genera Podocarpaceae