Parasite in the Poo | The Green Planet | BBC Earth

Summary

In a desert world, the tristerics, a parasitic plant, exploits a hedgehog cactus by using water stored in its tissues. The plant, which begins its journey in the gut of a fruit-eating mockingbird, germinates and attaches itself to the cactus. It feeds on the cactus’s water, growing inside it for a year before breaking through the skin to flower. Hummingbirds pollinate the flowers, and the plant produces seeds that are carried away by birds to invade new cacti, completing the cycle. This fascinating interaction highlights the delicate balance of desert ecosystems.

Takeaways

• 😀 Water thieves in the desert world can take many forms, including parasitic plants like tristericks.
• 😀 Tristericks are seeds that travel inside the gut of a fruit-eating mockingbird to spread to new locations.
• 😀 These seeds are similar to mistletoe and target the water stored in desert plants like hedgehog cacti.
• 😀 Once they land on a cactus, tristericks use the spines as anchors and begin to germinate.
• 😀 The seeds produce a long probe that tries to reach the cactus’s skin to establish a connection.
• 😀 Most tristericks fail to connect with the cactus, but those that succeed gain access to the water stored inside.
• 😀 At night, when the cactus opens its pores to respire, tristericks infiltrate the cactus’s tissues and access its water.
• 😀 Over time, the tristericks grow within the cactus, sustaining themselves from its valuable water reserve.
• 😀 After a year, the tristericks break through the cactus's skin and bloom into flowers.
• 😀 Hummingbirds are attracted to the tristericks' flowers, pollinate them, and help spread new seeds, continuing the cycle of invasion.

Q & A

What is the role of tristericks in the desert ecosystem?

Tristericks acts as a parasitic plant that invades the cactus to steal its water, which is vital in the arid desert environment.

How do tristericks seeds get to their host cactus?

Tristericks seeds are carried by fruit-eating mockingbirds, which transport the seeds to new cacti, allowing them to invade and germinate.

What is the first step in the tristericks seed's life cycle?

The tristericks seed germinates in the gut of a fruit-eating mockingbird, where it begins its journey to find a host cactus.

What is the primary adaptation of tristericks seeds for attaching to a cactus?

Tristericks seeds use spines to anchor themselves to the cactus and send out long probes to pierce the cactus's skin.

How does tristericks infiltrate the cactus's tissues?

Once the probe reaches the cactus skin, tristericks uses a special sucker to latch onto the cactus, waiting for night when the cactus opens its pores to respire.

What happens when the cactus opens its pores at night?

At night, the cactus opens its pores to exchange gases, allowing tristericks to infiltrate its tissues and absorb water.

What happens to tristericks after it has absorbed water from the cactus?

Tristericks grows within the cactus, sustaining itself with the stored water, and eventually breaks through the cactus's skin to bloom.

How are hummingbirds involved in the life cycle of tristericks?

Hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers produced by tristericks and help pollinate them as they drink nectar, facilitating the plant's reproduction.

What is the ultimate outcome for tristericks after it flowers?

Tristericks produces hundreds of white seeds, which are dispersed by birds, completing the cycle of invasion and colonization of a new cactus.

What is the significance of the tristericks' white seeds?

The white seeds of tristericks are visually striking, helping attract birds that will carry them to new locations, ensuring the spread of the plant.