On the Cover:
Parasitic plants comprise more than 4500 species that show remarkable innovation, diversity and plasticity in the ways they acquire nutrients to survive by forming intimate associations with their hosts – at times with devastating consequences for agriculture. This special issue of Plant and Cell Physiology, edited and introduced by Satoko Yoshida, Atsushi Okazawa, Thomas Spallek and Kaori Yoneyama, presents a comprehensive collection of original research articles and reviews that explore recent advances in molecular, cellular, and evolutionary-genomics approaches to further unravel the mysteries of parasitic plant evolution and parasitic plant-host interactions, especially those geared towards developing sustainable strategies to mitigate their impact on the environment and agriculture.