Super Photosynthesizers

In your daily life, I’m sure you take for granted many of the photosynthetic organisms around you. However, there are some so extreme that they deserve attention, accolades, world records and sometimes a name.  Read about these ‘Super Photosynthesizers’ here.

Hyperion: The World’s Tallest Tree

Methuselah and Prometheus: The World’s Oldest Organisms

Cat Island Baldcypress: National Champion for its species and largest tree east of the Sierra Nevada

Pumpkins: The World’s Largest Fruit

GSB1: Photosynthesis without the Sun

Prochlorococcus sp.: The smallest photosynthesizer and the most important microorganism you’ve never heard of

Nanotube-infused plants: Truly super powered photosynthetic organisms

Corpse Flower: The largest inflorescence and leaf in the plant kingdom

In contrast to the organisms listed above, the links below describe the sinister, the strange and the shameful when it comes to photosynthetic lifestyles.

Chlorochromatium aggregatum: A microbial mixed marriage of autotroph and heterotroph

Elysia chlorotica: Still torn as to whether this counts as a superphotosynthesizer or supervillian of photosynthetic organisms

Elysia chlorotica is not a superphotosynthesizer, just a photosynthiopathic heterotroph that decorates itself with the organelles of the algae it feeds upon.

Acetabularia acetabulum: Green alga that is the food of choice for Elysia timida another klepto-slug. It’s chloroplasts are superphotosynthesizers because they are more autonomous than the typical green lineage chloroplast.

Homo photosynsapiens: photosynthetic cryptozoology and mythical creatures

Monotropa uniflora aka The Ghost Plant: A plant in name only that does not photosynthesize