Balanophora

Balanophora is a genus of parasitic flowering plants in the family Balanophoraceae distributed from tropical Africa and Madagascar, through South and Southeast Asia, Japan, Queensland and the islands of the western Pacific. There are 25 accepted species. Many species emit an odour which possibly attracts pollinators in the same way that pollinators are attracted to Rafflesia. The tiny flowers produce some of the smallest seeds known, weighing as little as 7 micrograms each. Balanophora species are used in folk medicine in many Asian cultures. For example, in Taiwan and China, Balanophora is known as she-gu (snake-fungus) and in Thailand as hoh-ra-tao-su-nak. In both cases, the plant is used to treat a variety of ailments and has various ritual purposes. The tubers of Balanophora are rich in a wax-like substance which is used in Java as a fuel for torches....read more on Wikipedia.