Brookea
Brookea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae, native to Borneo. These plants are hemiparasitic, meaning they obtain some or all of their nutrients from other plants.
Brookea species are characterized by their showy flowers and their parasitic nature on the roots of other plants. They are relatively rare and can be difficult to find in the wild. They are named after Sir James Brooke, the first White Rajah of Sarawak.
The genus Brookea includes the following recognized species:
- Brookea albiflora
- Brookea auriculata
- Brookea brookeana
- Brookea celebica
- Brookea dasyantha
- Brookea dentata
- Brookea florentula
- Brookea korthalsii
- Brookea maxima
- Brookea micrantha
- Brookea naatensis
- Brookea reticulata
- Brookea spectabilis
- Brookea tomentosa
These plants are of interest to botanists due to their parasitic lifestyle and their unique adaptations to their environment. Further research is ongoing to understand the full extent of their distribution, host range, and ecological role within Bornean ecosystems. They are also of conservation concern due to habitat loss and their rarity.