Japan's ghost flowers: How they survive without sunlight
Recent studies from Kobe University show how Japan's mysterious "ghost flowers" survive without photosynthesis.
Instead, these newly discovered plants—including Monotropastrum kirishimense and Relictithismia kimotsukiensis—get all their food from underground fungi, not the sun.
Researchers have studied the relationships between these plants and fungi.
Unusual pollination methods
Unlike most plants that use wind or bees, ghost flowers rely on camel crickets and tiny bugs for pollination and seed spreading.
The team also found some orchids on Japanese islands that self-pollinate without even opening their flowers—a rare trick in the plant world.
Importance of fungi and dead wood
These discoveries highlight just how important fungi and decaying wood are for orchid diversity.
Even in well-explored forests, scientists are still finding new species, hinting at hidden worlds underground.
Next up: researchers want to map out how nutrients move through these fungal networks to better understand these shadowy plants.