1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hi 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: brain Stuff Lauren vogelbam here with an episode from the 3 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Brainstuff Archives. There's a concept in business that often the 4 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: best way to get more done isn't to work more 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:21,959 Speaker 1: or harder, but to delegate tasks. Researchers have found a 6 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: plant that operates on the same principle. It actually outsources 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 1: photosynthesis to a fungus. Hey brain Stuff Lauren bogebom Here. 8 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: If you visit Yakoshima, Japan, you'll have the chance to 9 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: encounter the subtropical islands most popular attraction and ancient forest 10 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: of craggy cedar trees with massive trunks that reach more 11 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: than sixteen feet that's five meters in diameter. But don't 12 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: spend all your time looking up into the leafy canopy. 13 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: There's likely to be a plant at your feet that's 14 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: just as interesting. Thanks to one observant scientist, we now 15 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: know the area is also home to one of the 16 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: world's smallest and most unique parasitic plant pants. Back in tift, 17 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: sweet Sugu Kenji, then a project associate at the Kobe 18 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,199 Speaker 1: University Graduate School of Science, canvassed the island for plant 19 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: specimens with photographer Yamashita hiro Aki. In the process, Kenji 20 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: came across a diminutive and unfamiliar plant. Kenji suspected the plant, 21 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,960 Speaker 1: just five centimeters that's two inches in height, with cabernet 22 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:23,680 Speaker 1: colored stems and buds, was a mico heterotrophic plant, so 23 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: he collected it for further examination. These parasitic plants get 24 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: their name from the unusual way they obtain nutrients. They 25 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 1: basically outsourced photosynthesis to a fungus. Most plants rely on photosynthesis, 26 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: a process by which they transform energy from the sun 27 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: into chemical energy that serves as a nutrient source. The 28 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: parasitic plant collected by Kenji doesn't need photosynthesis to survive. 29 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: It evolved in such a way that it obtains all 30 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: its water, minerals, and carbohydrates from fungi. In this case, 31 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: the plant's root system takes what it needs from fungi 32 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: on ancient tree roots, even if the roots are all 33 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 1: that remain in now deforested areas. It's a symbiotic relationship. 34 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: Another example of this behavior is the parasitic plant Raphileisia arnaldi, 35 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: colloquially called a corpse flower because its smell has been 36 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: compared to rotting flesh, it steals water and nutrients from 37 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 1: the roots of nearby vines, eventually creating a massive blossom. 38 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 1: The ability of plants like this newly identified one in 39 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,119 Speaker 1: Japan has been one of the most intriguing and secretive 40 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: processes in botany's history. The only time these newly discovered 41 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 1: plants appear above ground is when they briefly flower or fruit, 42 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: making it exceedingly difficult to find or study them. Today's 43 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: episode is based on the article lazy cheating plant lives 44 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: underground outsources photosynthesis to fungus on how stuff works dot Com, 45 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: written by Laurel Dove. Brain Stuff is production of I 46 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 1: Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff Works dot Com 47 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: and is produced by Tyler Clay. Four more podcasts my 48 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 49 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.