As soon as I saw the headline of this essay in my email, I was hoping you'd be talking about that fascinating species of flower! I'm totally happy for you that you got to meet her after wanting to for so long. I also really liike hearing first-hand accounts about what it's like in countries other than the US, so I really enjoyed this.
On the topic of plant parasitism, I've been wanting to learn more. My initial forays into the literature suggest that the relationship is not necessarily purely exploitative, or is not necessarily harmful to the host. In my own observations, I've seen lots of living mistletoe on living trees and shrubs, but haven't seen a situation where the host seemed to be suffering. It's not in the interest of the mistletoe to kill the tree or shrub, after all. There are so many parasitic and hemi-parasitic (only partly parasitic) plants out there, and I'm sure there must be a spectrum of effects. I don't know where Rafflesia falls on it.
So, as a fellow writer and as a plant person, I question your metaphor here:
"Boasting one of the most extreme manifestations of parasitic mode found in Nature, she is completely dependent upon her host plant for water, nutrients and products of photosynthesis which she extracts like a settler-colonizer through a specialized root system called haustoria."
Is she really "like a settler-colonizer"? Because the agents of settler colonialism kills their host and replace them. Parasitic plants, being dependent on their hosts, cannot replace them. How often do they kill them? In the animal world and the microscopic world, obviously it's different, as many parasites do kill their hosts, but is it so between plants? And with this plant in particular?
There's also the issue of "malice." Settler-colonialism employs malice, which I would describe as a malevolent intent. Do parasitic plants do the same thing? Do any plants?
These are the sorts of questions I have about plant parasitism.
Anyway, I enjoyed reading the essay and look forward to more!
Thanks Kollibri! Yes, it was a dream come true to finally meet her. And you are right. In fact, it's funny you pointed out that specific reference as I went back and forth, inserting and deleting the phrase "settler-colonizer" again and again for the very same reasons you mentioned. Yet, in the end I stuck with it mostly because of recent conversations I have joined led by Bayo Akomolafe who invites us to challenge our conceptions of concrete solutions, definitions, etc. Drawing on pre-colonial myths he often references gods who took no side, and were in service to plans beyond our scientific, rational, linear mind. He invites us to explore a more fugitive way of thinking, being, and dreaming. Inspired by this, a flood of memories took over me as I observed this parasitic marvel and was all too aware of how often humans manipulate observations of the natural world for their benefit. Beyond the vegetal realms, much of this extends even to human "free will". Who is to say that some natural force is not guiding the flower to do what it must? Is it possible then that what is occurring now in the context of modernity is also being guided by an unseen, long forgotten natural code? Is this malice?? Or the tough love of Saturn? I agree, I don't think the flower is trying to maliciously kill its host. Nor do I think the pines are seeking complete dominance of the canopy. But in addition to offering food and medicine, nature offers us myth and metaphor. Culture springs forth from how we interact with the sensual world just as much as does her fruits. I found a useful metaphor here for purposes of Story. But in truth, the brilliance of this flower is much greater than what little I afforded her here. Check out this article to explore a wee bit more. There is much more to unpack to be sure:https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-023-01620-3 All blessings:)
As soon as I saw the headline of this essay in my email, I was hoping you'd be talking about that fascinating species of flower! I'm totally happy for you that you got to meet her after wanting to for so long. I also really liike hearing first-hand accounts about what it's like in countries other than the US, so I really enjoyed this.
On the topic of plant parasitism, I've been wanting to learn more. My initial forays into the literature suggest that the relationship is not necessarily purely exploitative, or is not necessarily harmful to the host. In my own observations, I've seen lots of living mistletoe on living trees and shrubs, but haven't seen a situation where the host seemed to be suffering. It's not in the interest of the mistletoe to kill the tree or shrub, after all. There are so many parasitic and hemi-parasitic (only partly parasitic) plants out there, and I'm sure there must be a spectrum of effects. I don't know where Rafflesia falls on it.
So, as a fellow writer and as a plant person, I question your metaphor here:
"Boasting one of the most extreme manifestations of parasitic mode found in Nature, she is completely dependent upon her host plant for water, nutrients and products of photosynthesis which she extracts like a settler-colonizer through a specialized root system called haustoria."
Is she really "like a settler-colonizer"? Because the agents of settler colonialism kills their host and replace them. Parasitic plants, being dependent on their hosts, cannot replace them. How often do they kill them? In the animal world and the microscopic world, obviously it's different, as many parasites do kill their hosts, but is it so between plants? And with this plant in particular?
There's also the issue of "malice." Settler-colonialism employs malice, which I would describe as a malevolent intent. Do parasitic plants do the same thing? Do any plants?
These are the sorts of questions I have about plant parasitism.
Anyway, I enjoyed reading the essay and look forward to more!
Thanks Kollibri! Yes, it was a dream come true to finally meet her. And you are right. In fact, it's funny you pointed out that specific reference as I went back and forth, inserting and deleting the phrase "settler-colonizer" again and again for the very same reasons you mentioned. Yet, in the end I stuck with it mostly because of recent conversations I have joined led by Bayo Akomolafe who invites us to challenge our conceptions of concrete solutions, definitions, etc. Drawing on pre-colonial myths he often references gods who took no side, and were in service to plans beyond our scientific, rational, linear mind. He invites us to explore a more fugitive way of thinking, being, and dreaming. Inspired by this, a flood of memories took over me as I observed this parasitic marvel and was all too aware of how often humans manipulate observations of the natural world for their benefit. Beyond the vegetal realms, much of this extends even to human "free will". Who is to say that some natural force is not guiding the flower to do what it must? Is it possible then that what is occurring now in the context of modernity is also being guided by an unseen, long forgotten natural code? Is this malice?? Or the tough love of Saturn? I agree, I don't think the flower is trying to maliciously kill its host. Nor do I think the pines are seeking complete dominance of the canopy. But in addition to offering food and medicine, nature offers us myth and metaphor. Culture springs forth from how we interact with the sensual world just as much as does her fruits. I found a useful metaphor here for purposes of Story. But in truth, the brilliance of this flower is much greater than what little I afforded her here. Check out this article to explore a wee bit more. There is much more to unpack to be sure:https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-023-01620-3 All blessings:)