The IPPS September Seminar will feature two talks: Prof. Ai-Rong Li from the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, will talk about: “Unlocking the Cultivation Secrets of a Valuable Root Hemiparasitic Plant Malania oleifera (Olacaceae): From Ecological Adaptation to Molecular Regulation” and Run-Xian Yu from the from the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy […]
Prof. Steven Runo from Kenyatta University has been elected to the board of the International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (IS-MPMI). His appointment will help to bring more attention to parasitic plant research within the scientific community. Congratulations, Steven, on this well-deserved achievement! […]
The IPPS July Seminar will feature two talks on broomrapes:: Prof. Bing Wang from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences will talk about: “Manipulation of a strigolactone transporter in tomato confers resistance to the parasitic weed broomrape” and Prof. Tao Chen from the Hangzhou Normal […]
Jiayang Shi et al., 2025. Resistance to Striga parasitism through reduction of strigolactone exudation. Cell, 2025, ISSN 0092-8674, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2025.01.022 Xinwei Ban et al., 2025. Manipulation of a strigolactone transporter in tomato confers resistance to the parasitic weed broomrape. The Innovation, 2025, 100815, ISSN 2666-6758, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2025.100815. At about the same time these two papers show once […]
Last recorded in 1938 near Rupa in the Aka Hills, Arunachal Pradesh, Sapria himalayana has remained one of the most elusive members of the Rafflesiaceae family. Sapria himalayana, the cousin of the world’s largest flower, Rafflesia, was first discovered in the Mishmi Hills of Arunachal Pradesh by British botanist William Griffith in 1836. Despite its […]
The IPPS June Seminar will feature two talks on Striga: Prof. Jessy Lasky from the Pennsylvania State University will talk about: “Genetics, physiology, and evolution of sorghum resistance and striga host adaptation” and Prof. Yu Feifei from the China Agricultural University will talk about: “Resistance to Striga parasitism through reduction of strigolactone exudation” Date: Wednesday, […]
Our IPPS May Seminar will feature two talks about the parasitic tree sandalwood. First talk: Prof. Junkun Lu from the Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry will talk about: “Synergistic parasitism of mixed rosewood-sandalwood plantation in China” Second talk: Prof. Xinhua Zhang, from the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences […]
Mistletoes: keystone species that shape ecosystems and excel at water transpiration and stomatal conductance! The April IPPS mistletoe seminar featured two insightful talks from Francisco Forturbel and Xian-Yan Huang, who kindly stepped in for Yun-Bing Zhang. Check out their recent papers to follow up on their talks: Olivares GS, et al. 2025. and Zhang YB […]
The IPPS is shifting its main social media presence to Bluesky and LinkedIn. Follow us there to stay updated on the latest parasitic plants and IPPS news. See you on Bluesky and LinkedIn! […]
First talk: Dr. Francisco Fontúrbel from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso in Chile will talk about: “Mistletoe-driven facilitation at the limit of life in Patagonia” Second talk: Dr. Yun-Bing Zhang, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, will talk about “Survival secrets of mistletoes: high drought tolerance in aerial habitats” Date: Wednesday, April […]