International Parasitic Plant Society

On Thursday 4 June 2026 the IPPS held an online General Assembly. The date was purposely chosen as it marked the 25th anniversary of the society. On 4 June 2001, at the occasion of the 7th International Parasitic Weed Symposium (meetings that are nowadays called the World Congress on Parasitic Plants, WCPP) , in Nantes, [...]

I am beyond thrilled to share with you this exciting news/paper hot off the press: our efforts to propagate Rafflesia, the charismatic, critically endangered “panda of the plant world” and the largest flower on Earth, have finally paid off! Molina, J. et al. (2026) “Growing a plant you cannot see: ex situ propagation of the endoparasite [...]

Plants interact ubiquitously with organisms surrounding them through chemical communication, for example through the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by flowers, to attract pollinators. To attain specificity in this relationship, plants may evolve different VOCs for different pollinators. In the present study we investigated the flower VOCs of the root parasitic but...

  Issue 89 of Haustorium is now available, featuring the latest developments and discoveries in parasitic plant research. Highlights include the first confirmed report of sunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana) in North America, raising concerns for sunflower production, and a fascinating feature on the striking purple toothwort. This issue also includes updates on combating...