My favourite flowering image: two in one-a holoparasite growing inside a shrubby legume

Plants are versatile organisms: they come in every shape, size, and colour; they can regenerate almost every single part, as they are modular organisms with long-lasting meristematic potential; you can graft them, grow them from just a few cells in vitro, and propagate them clonally, or through spores or seeds. In a universe of endless forms, it is always hard to pick a favourite. I decided to choose a flowering image that has shocked me since the first time I encountered it in the field, as it breaks several developmental 'rules' and is an emerging system through which to understand the development of holoparasitic plants.

Automated summary

Plants are versatile organisms, with the ability to regenerate, reproduce in different ways, and display a wide range of shapes and colors. The author selected a unique flowering image to study as a system for understanding the development of holoparasitic plants.