Skip to main content

LORANTHUS - THE MANGO MISTLETOE



By Dr. R Sudarshan

The sunbirds or spider catchers drop the seed on a branch. Drinking the moisture from the air, the seed germinates. It then sends out the roots that slither over the bark, dig through into the stem, and travel like a catheter in the innards of the host to steal the sap of minerals. Loranthus needs no soil. It just doesn't step on the ground at all. Its job is just like dropping a pipe into your stomach to suck out all the food that you store. In Africa, it sucks out Cocoa. In Europe, it drains Chestnut. It may have its own decorative or medicinal uses. And it is a parasite par excellence.

In Padma Farms, Loranthus thrives on mango trees. Indistinguishable in form of the host but deep devouring. Only when the beautiful pink flowers blossom, do you know who is living off your mango trees and hoarding all the sunlight. By the time you find out, the host and parasite are inseparably intertwined and married. 

Who thrives and who shrivels is a game of nature. But surely, both gain and both suffer in the end.

For any relevant query, message 81051 12990.

* * *

Padma Farms (Gaddige Road), Farmer's House, 1A, 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.

Labels:
Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE LIFE SUSTAINING HOLLOW HEARTS OF PAPAYA

By Dr R Sudarshan A tall papaya tree bit the dust when the night rider wild pigs dug into its base to steal it's succulent roots. And a curious little boy visitor to the farm chopped and sliced it to feel the power of an axe. We then rediscovered a string of hollow chambers in the stem that we had long forgotten after the college days. The pith cavities are the multiple hearts of the papaya vascularity. Raising water and nutrition from ground to sky, holding them in steps to strengthen the tall growing stem and gradually filling those fruits with the pulp and nectar, the hollowness is the substance of this existence. A plant is a wondrous source of symmetry, geometry, science, technology and food. And a farm is a relearning device. For any relevant query,  message 81051 12990. * * * Padma Farms, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore. * * * Opinion [27/01, 1:45 pm]  Neel Mathews:  Wonderful new knowledge….  nature’s magics… [27/01,...
Post a Comment
Read more

COMMUNITY DIALOGUE - 1

By Dr. R Sudarshan EATING CLEAN: COMMUNITY DIALOGUE - 1;  Featured Speaker - Sindhu Ramachandra;  Friday, 15 July 2022 at 5:30 PM E ating clean is a lifestyle fundamental, easily ignored and abused in the fast lane of tongue temptations. And the long convoluted tube that we call 'gut' is often turned into a gutter that is forced to process what it is not meant for - synthetic food, herbicides, pesticides, and life-threatening substances. Sindhu is a biochemist with work experience from IISc. She pursues data science and AI in the context of biochemistry. An ardent believer in organic farming, she cares for clean foods. And she knows how unclean foods can turn your life upside down. Community Dialogues at the Farmer's House are an engagement with reason to restore the dignity of life. Come, listen, interact and benefit. Attendance is FREE. Register with Gagan at 97421 62956. * * * Farmer's House, Silverfish Books, Kutz Bowl and the Farmer's Market, # 1A, 13th Cross,...
Post a Comment
Read more

SISTERS OF THE WAR

By Dr. R Sudarshan T hose of us that are born in a land and society of relative peace will never understand the pains and perils of war. The extreme sufferings people undergo for no fault of theirs and their inescapable fate of circumstances are unbelievable stories for us, as we sip from our mugs of comfort coffee. The civil war in Syria is an ongoing reality of our times. Rania Abouzeid writes the real story of two pairs of sisters, surviving the bullets, broken homes, blasted childhood, and a routine of a revolting rut.  Those are real-life stories of how hope works. A reflection on how the one earth and one time that we all share is an unequal opportunity of existence. On the shelf - a mood that grips you and makes you grateful for what you have. For any relevant query, message 81051 12990. * * * Silverfish Books, Farmer's House, # 1A - 13th Cross, Kalidasa Road, VV Mohalla, Mysore.
Post a Comment
Read more