Hydnora africana is an achlorophyllous plant in the subfamily Hydnoroideae, native to southern Africa that is parasitic on the roots of members of the family Euphorbiaceae.

It is also called jakkalskos or jackal food. The specific epithet africana means from Africa.

Molecular data has suggested that Hydnoroideae is a "basal angiosperm" solidifying its place among the more primitive flowering plants. Hydnoraceae are the only angiosperms known to have no leaves or scales and are considered obligate parasites, completely dependent on their hosts to survive. The plant grows underground, except for a fleshy flower that emerges above ground and emits an odour of faeces to attract its natural pollinators, dung beetles and carrion beetles. The vegetative body of the plants has been reduced to consisting only of roots and flowers. The flowers act as temporary traps, Hydnora africana is pollinated by dung and carrion beetles that are attracted to its carrion-like smell, and the flowers briefly trap the insects before letting them go covered in pollen.

...