''Pyrularia'' is a small genus of shrubs or small trees in the sandalwood family (Santalaceae) which contains two species, ''

Pyrularia pubera ''Pyrularia pubera'' is a shrub in the sandalwood family which grows through the eastern United States from New York to Alabama, being mostly found in the Appalachian Mountains. It is commonly referred to as buffalo nut or oil nut. It grows up ...

'' and '' Pyrularia edulis''. ''P. pubera'' grows in the eastern United States and ''P. edulis'' grows in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Both species are

parasitic plant A parasitic plant is a plant that derives some or all of its nutritional requirements from another living plant. They make up about 1% of angiosperms and are found in almost every biome. All parasitic plants develop a specialized organ called the ...

s, specifically hemiparasites, which while still photosynthetic, will also parasitize the roots of other plants around them.

Taxonomy

The genus was first formally named in 1803 by French botanist

André Michaux André Michaux, also styled Andrew Michaud, (8 March 174611 October 1802) was a French botanist and explorer. He is most noted for his study of North American flora. In addition Michaux collected specimens in England, Spain, France, and even Per ...

. The name ''Pyrularia'' derives from the Latin ''pyrus'' meaning "

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the p ...

" and ''aria'' meaning "connecting" — this relates to the shape of the fruit.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q9064978 Santalaceae Santalales genera