Balanophora indica (Arn.) Griff. belongs to Balanophoraceae. Plants dioecious. Rhizome yellowish orange to brown, surface coarsely tessellated and with stellate warts; branches subglobose, 0.5-5.6 cm in diam, rarely cylindric. Scapes yellow, 7.2-20 cm. Male inflorescences red, ovoid-ellipsoid, (5-10) cm × (2-6) cm. Male flowers: reddish, actinomorphic, each subtended by a single stout and truncate bract. Perianth lobes 4-6, elliptic-lanceolate, (3-7) mm × (1-2.5) mm. Synandria elliptic-ovate, 2.5-5 mm, stalked; anthers 4 or 5, U-shaped, longitudinally dehiscent. Female inflorescences globose, 3-5 cm in diam. Spadicles subclavate, to 2 mm, apical 1/2 to 2/3 ellipsoid-obovoid. Female flowers: basally on spadicles and main axis of inflorescence. Flowering October to December.

B. indica is widely distributed in Southeast Asian countries, but in China, it is only found in Yunnan, Guangxi and Hainan. Due to its parastistic characteristics and reduced leaf and stem organs, it can be found only during the flowering stage.

                                 （Photographed and introduced by Dr ZHU Renbin）