haustorium
/hɔˈstɔriəm/
noun
- A specialized structure in parasitic plants or fungi that penetrates a host plant to absorb nutrients.
- Biologists studied how the haustorium of the mistletoe attaches to tree branches.
- The dodder plant sends a haustorium into the stem of its host to draw out water and minerals.
- Some fungi use a haustorium to feed on living plant cells without killing them immediately.