Striga hermonthica
Encyclopedia
Striga hermonthica, commonly known as purple witchweed, is a parasitic plant
belonging to the genus Striga
. It is devastating to "major crops such as sorghum
(Sorghum bicolor) and rice
(Oryza sativa). In subsaharan Africa in addition to S. bicolor, and O. sativa it infests
maize (Zea mays), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum). In the late 1990s "twenty-one million hectares of cereals in Africa were estimated to be infested by S. hermonthica, leading to an estimated annual grain loss of 4.1 million tons".
S. hemonthica has undergone a horizontal gene transfer
from Sorghum to its nuclear genome. The S. hemonthica gene, ShContig9483, is most like a gene in S. bicolor and shows significant but lesser similarity to a gene from O. sativa. It shows no similarity to any known eudicot gene.
Parasitic plant
A parasitic plant is one that derives some or all of its sustenance from another plant. About 4,100 species in approximately 19 families of flowering plants are known. Parasitic plants have a modified root, the haustorium, that penetrates the host plant and connects to the xylem, phloem, or...
belonging to the genus Striga
Striga (plant)
Striga, commonly known as witches weed, is a genus of 28 species of parasitic plants that occur naturally in parts of Africa, Asia, and Australia. Witchweeds are characterized by bright-green stems and leaves and small, brightly colored flowers. Furthermore, they are obligate parasites of roots...
. It is devastating to "major crops such as sorghum
Sorghum bicolor
Sorghum bicolor, commonly called sorghum and also known as durra or jowari, is a grass species cultivated for its edible grain. Sorghum originated in northern Africa, and is now cultivated widely in tropical and subtropical regions. S. bicolor is typically an annual, but some cultivars are...
(Sorghum bicolor) and rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
(Oryza sativa). In subsaharan Africa in addition to S. bicolor, and O. sativa it infests
maize (Zea mays), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum). In the late 1990s "twenty-one million hectares of cereals in Africa were estimated to be infested by S. hermonthica, leading to an estimated annual grain loss of 4.1 million tons".
S. hemonthica has undergone a horizontal gene transfer
Horizontal gene transfer
Horizontal gene transfer , also lateral gene transfer , is any process in which an organism incorporates genetic material from another organism without being the offspring of that organism...
from Sorghum to its nuclear genome. The S. hemonthica gene, ShContig9483, is most like a gene in S. bicolor and shows significant but lesser similarity to a gene from O. sativa. It shows no similarity to any known eudicot gene.