Contents -- Preface by Job Kuijt -- Author's preface -- Chapter 1. Introduction -- What is a parasitic plant? -- Parasite 'look alikes' -- Box 1. Myco-heterotrophic plants -- Types of parasites and some definitions -- Box 2. Different structures called a haustorium -- The haustorium -- Box 3. Vascular tissue in higher plants -- A parasitic gymnosperm -- How many plants are parasitic? -- History of research in parasites -- Chapter 2. Hemiparasitic Santalales -- Olacaceae -- Schoepfiaceae -- Box 4. Life cycle and embryology of flowering plants -- Opiliaceae -- Loranthaceae -- Vegetative morphology -- Haustorium anatomy -- Floral structure and pollination -- Bird pollination -- Embryology -- Dispersal biology -- The root parasites -- Loranthaceae in the New World -- Loranthaceae in Africa -- Loranthaceae in Eurasia -- Loranthaceae in Australia -- Loranthaceae in selected isolated islands -- Box 5. Endemism -- Misodendraceae -- Eremolepidaceae -- Santalaceae -- Vegetative morphology -- Floral biology -- Herbaceous genera -- Woody genera -- Viscaceae -- Dendrophthora -- Phoradendron -- Korthalsella -- Notothixos -- Viscum -- Arceuthobium -- Summary -- Chapter 3. Hemiparasitic families other than Santalales -- Krameriaceae -- Cassytha (Lauraceae) -- Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae) -- Hemiparasitic Orobanchaceae -- Habit and haustoria -- Flower biology -- Widely distributed genera -- Northern temperate zone -- Old World warm climates -- Chapter 4. Holoparasitic families -- Holoparasitic Orobanchaceae -- Genera transferred from Scrophulariaceae -- Orobanchaceae (sensu stricto) -- Cynomoriaceae -- Lennoaceae -- Mitrastemonaceae -- Apodanthaceae -- Cytinaceae -- Rafflesiaceae -- Rafflesia -- Sapria -- Rhizanthes -- Hydnoraceae -- Hydnora -- Prosopanche -- Balanophoraceae -- Vegetative morphology and anatomy -- Inflorescences and flowers.

The most widely distributed genera -- Amerian genera -- African genera -- Southeast Asian-Pacific genera -- Chapter 5. Establishment of the parasite -- Seed dispersal strategies -- Germination and host recognition -- Haustorial development -- Haustorial initiation -- Development of the holdfast -- Box 6. The plant cuticle -- Development of the endophyte -- Differentiation of the xylem bridge -- The mature haustorium -- Interrupted zone -- Graniferous tracheary elements -- The interface -- Phoradendron case story -- Physiology -- Water relations (Transpiration) -- Box 7. Absorption and transport of nutrient ions -- Nutrient absorption and translocation -- Translocation from parasite to host -- Box 8. Photosynthesis -- Photosynthesis -- Further physiological topics -- Chapter 6. Host ranges and various ecological aspects of parasitism -- Facultative and obligate parasites -- Host specificity -- Determining the host range -- Species delimitation and host range -- Host specificity in various taxa -- Epi- and self parasitism -- Mimicry -- Host reactions and defence -- Biochemical defence -- Hypertrophy and hormonal disorder -- Mechanical defence -- Relations to non-hostorganisms -- Flowers and fruits as food sources -- Herbiviry -- Diseases -- Vegetation ecology -- Arid vegetation - xerophytism -- Box 9 . Xerophytism -- Coastal vegetation - salt tolerance -- Temperate and tropical forests -- Arctic vegetation -- Cultivated and urban land -- Ecosystems - fires -- Chapter 7. Harmful parasites and control methods -- Parasitic plants in agriculture -- Cuscuta and Cassytha on crops -- Striga on crops -- Orobanche and Phelipanche on crops -- Other root parasites on crops -- Control methods -- Parasites in forestry and orchards -- Arceuthobium -- Other stem parasites -- Control methods -- Chapter 8. Ecology and evolution -- Evolution of parasitism in dicots.

Evolution of different modes of parasitism -- Convergent evolution -- Co-evolution and bird pollination -- Phylogeny -- Transfer of genetic information -- The phylogenetic tree -- Nature conservation -- Glossary -- Selected literature -- List of photographers -- Index.