Plants use photosynthesis as a way to convert sunlight into energy and nutrition it can use. Most plants have photosynthesis of some form. Some plants, however, do not do this, as in the case of a newly discovered plant species in Japan.
The new plant species has been found on the of Kuroshima in Japan. It has been given the scientific name Gastrodia kuroshimensis, after the place where it was found. Associate Professor Kenji Suetsugu of Kobe University Graduate School of Science has made the discovery, according to Science Daily.
G. kuroshimensis is mycoheterotrophic, which means that it gets nutrients not through photosynthesis but through a host fungi. This type of plants have been of interest to botanists, but is hard to find since most are small in size and scarce, as Natural Science News reports. Such plants are also found in dark places in the forest. The only time that they could be seen is when it is time for them to flower.
G. kuroshimensis might be difficult to find, however, as it does have flowers that do not bloom. In order for the plant to reproduce, it fertilizes itself within the closed buds of the flower. It would also be quite unique in that it is a completely self-pollinating plant. Most plants that have self-pollinating flowers also produce flowers that can be pollinated. The new species, however, is a completely self-pollinating plant.
Such plants are still a mystery to most botanists since few of them have been studied. The discovery of G. kurosimensis would provide botanists and researchers further opportunity to study this type of plant. Professor Suetsugu has discovered a number of them as well, having seen about a hundred of the plant on Kuroshima. With its discovery botanists hope to know more about the historical significance of the plant as well as self-pollinating plants in general.
