HAUSTORIUM

highly modified stem or root of a parasitic plant, such as mistletoe or dodder, or a specialized branch or tube originating from a hairlike filament (hypha) of a fungus. The haustorium penetrates the tissues of a host and absorbs nutrients and water. The word haustorium also is used to indicate certain cell types in plant embryology. The African Mutelidae family of freshwater mussels have a parasitic larval stage that is called a haustorium.