HYDNORACEAE
Hydnora abyssinica
Acacia Jackalskos
Wildflowers© Joël Roerig (2021) • Lion Trail
Local Context
So far only one record from the Lion Trail, but relatively common around Hoedspruit. It is found in dry woodland, scrub, and grassland (often on black cotton, clay, or sandy soils) all the way north to Nigeria in the west and Eritrea in the east.Identification
- Growth: Unusual parasitic plant that grows almost entirely underground attached to the roots of host plants; the main body is thick, fleshy, and root-like (rhizome-like), often flattened or irregular in shape (up to 10 cm wide) and covered in warts; it is brick-red inside with sticky sap.
- Flowers: Large, fleshy, and solitary (5–25 cm long), often smelling strongly of rotting meat; they have a brown, corky tube that splits into usually four thick lobes above ground; these lobes can either stay joined at the tips or spread flat on the ground and are lined with bristles along the bright red to cream-colored edges.
- Leaves: The plant is completely leafless and lacks green chlorophyll.
- Texture: The underground parts and flower tube are rough and covered in warts or corky skin; the flower lobes are thick and leathery (fleshy) with a cushion-like tip.
- Fruit: A large, round, underground berry (10–15 cm wide) with a scaly skin, containing many tiny seeds inside a sweet, white, mealy pulp.
Did You Know?
Hydnora abyssinica is a root parasite specialising in the Fabaceae family, specifically targeting Vachellia and Senegalia species like the Sweet Thorn and Knob Thorn. It survives entirely underground by extracting nutrients via haustoria, a kind of "straws" to siphon off water, minerals, and carbohydrates. It emerges only to flower. Jackals (along with porcupines, baboons, and birds) dig up the underground fruits to eat them. Because the seeds are tiny and indigestible, jackals play a vital role in the plant's survival by dispersing the seeds in their droppings.