''Gymnosiphon'' (yellowseed) is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants from the

yam Yam or YAM may refer to: Plants and foods *Yam (vegetable), common name for members of ''Dioscorea'' * Taro, known in Malaysia and Singapore as yam * Sweet potato, specifically its orange-fleshed cultivars, often referred to as yams in North Amer ...

order. Like most of the other members of the family in which the plant is placed ( Burmanniaceae), ''Gymnosiphon'' is entirely myco-heterotrophic genus that does not contain

chlorophyll Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words , ("pale green") and , ("leaf"). Chlorophyll allow plants to a ...

and respectively does not perform photosynthesis. ''Gymnosiphon'' is distributed across the moist, tropical regions of Asia,

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and Africa.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> The plant has very small size and thin stems. Leaves are rudimentary and with appearance like scales or

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

s. Its flowers are white in color, pale and solitary or sometimes collected in tiny inflorescences of few depending on the species. They are also actinomorphic with three larger outer tepals and three more inner and smaller ones. Phylogenetically ''Gymnosiphon'' is placed in the

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

of Burmanniaceae ''sensu stricto''. ; Species

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q147406 Burmanniaceae Dioscoreales genera Parasitic plants