Story behind the art of Yoko Harada

Curious Allies: Mutualism in Fungi, Parasites, and Carnivores

The Fifth New York Botanical Garden Triennial

Forest Ghost Flower

Aeginetia indica, Miscanthus sinensis

When I read about the theme “Curious Allies: Mutualism in Parasites” for The Fifth New York Botanical Garden Triennial, the forest ghost flower immediately captivated my thoughts.

This flower, immortalized in the eighth century Japanese poetry collection, the Manyoshu, is referred to as Omoigusa, or "thinking grass,” in a literal translation. This short poem reads, "Omoigusa that grows under the pampas grass; shall I once again become lost in thought?" It is also known as "namban kiseru" (southern barbarians' pipe) in Japanese for its resemblance to a tobacco pipe.

Aeginetia indica, commonly known as forest ghost flower or Indian broomrape, is a root parasite belonging to the Orobanchaceae family. It grows in the moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forests of tropical and subtropical Asia. A "cunning" annual plant, it does not carry out photosynthesis, instead, it siphons nutrients from the roots of other plants, notably the Japanese pampas grass (Miscanthus sinensis). This parasitic plant operates solely by stealing nutrients from its host, without providing any benefit in return. While it does not typically cause serious harm to its hosts, there have been instances in Japan’s history where it parasitized sugar cane, resulting in some damage to sugar harvests, although not to a significant extent.

To intimately understand this enigmatic plant, I ventured to the Tsukuba Botanical Garden near Tokyo, where it thrived beneath a blanket of pampas grass. Although I was prohibited from excavating specimens from their natural habitat, I managed to obtain several potted plants from a nursery specializing in wildflowers in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. Despite the daunting presence of robust pampas grass, I meticulously examined their parasitic attachment to its roots, cautiously unearthing the delicate root connections, thus uncovering this intriguing symbiotic relationship. The forest ghost flower roots are thin and short, making them easily detachable from the roots of host plants.

The flowers are lovely in form, featuring a two to four cm sepal tube and blossoming in hues ranging from purple to rosy pink or white, atop a slender, erect scape measuring 15-40 cm in height. Resembling rosebuds cradled in yellowish holders, they embody the essence of the 'barbarian's pipe.' I chose to depict the reddish-purple flowers with yellowish holders, embellished with some patterns.

In my artwork, the roots appear as a ball shape because they are grouped together, but typically, they are thin and short.

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Read more about this artist's work: 26th Annual