Question

A partial root parasite is:
(a) Balanophora
(b) Rafflesia
(c) Santalum
(d) Dipterocarpus

Answer 1

Plants that derive their nutrition from other plants are called parasitic plants. Further, depending on weather it completely derives nutrition from other plants or is partially dependent, parasitic plants can be divided into two types – complete and partial.

Complete step by step answer:
Santalum is a partial root parasite. Santalum is the Latin name for sandalwood which is a commercially valuable plant. They are mostly trees or shrubs. It produces a highly aromatic type of wood which is widely used in making perfumes or ‘Ittar’.
The plant of Santalum is hemiparasitic i.e. derives water and other inorganic nutrients from the roots of surrounding plants. However, it also synthesizes some amount by photosynthesis and hence is not completely dependent on other plants.
Parasitic plants are further classified into several types. Depending on their life cycle there are two types i.e. facultative (which can complete a life cycle without host) and obligate (which cannot complete their life cycle without a host). Depending on whether the parasite attaches to the root or stem, the two obvious types are stem and root parasites. A plant that is photosynthetic to some extent but also depends on other plants under specific conditions is called a hemiparasite. Whereas, a parasitic plant that derives all of its fixed carbon from the host plant is a holoparasite.
So, the correct answer is ‘(c) Santalum’.

Note: Due to its complicated germination process and a tremendous amount of time required for growth, the cultivation of Sandalwood was a huge problem in the initial days. Due to its partial parasitic nature, one plant of sandalwood is grown next to four or five host trees from which it can derive the required nutrients.