The study of plant–plant parasitism has experienced remarkable growth in the scientific literature, particularly over the past two decades. Hemi- and holoparasites, in particular, have been recognized as pivotal components within plant communities, capable of upscale effects to the ecosystem. Research on plant parasites has predominantly focused on ecological and physiological aspects of parasites and hosts, with a global distribution pattern. However, some fields remain relatively unexplored, and specific regions of Asia and the Global South (with exception of Australia and Brazil) have yet to receive comprehensive attention. Here, we introduce the theme on plant hemi- and holoparasites and explore publication trends on plant–plant parasitism over the past half-century, with a particular emphasis on papers published within the last two decades. We explore our findings to extend an invitation to researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to contribute their expertise to a forthcoming Virtual Special Issue of Flora – Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants on “Plant Parasitism: Ecology, Evolution and Functional Aspects”, with contributions expected from a wide range of topics related to ecology, physiology, morphology, systematics, and reproductive biology. We believe that this special issue will help in advancing our knowledge in plant-plant parasitism, fostering collaboration and facilitating the growth of this exciting area of research.

植物间寄生的研究在科学文献中经历了显着的增长，特别是在过去的二十年中。特别是半寄生虫和全寄生虫已被认为是植物群落中的关键组成部分，能够对生态系统产生大规模影响。植物寄生虫的研究主要集中在寄生虫和宿主的生态和生理方面，具有全球分布模式。然而，一些领域仍然相对未开发，亚洲和南半球的特定地区（澳大利亚和巴西除外）尚未得到全面关注。在这里，我们介绍植物半寄生和全寄生的主题，并探讨过去半个世纪植物间寄生的出版趋势，特别强调过去二十年发表的论文。我们探索我们的发现，邀请来自不同背景和学科的研究人员为即将出版的《植物志》虚拟特刊——植物形态学、分布、功能生态学“植物寄生：生态学、进化和功能方面”贡献他们的专业知识，其中预计来自与生态学、生理学、形态学、系统学和生殖生物学相关的广泛主题的贡献。我们相信，本期特刊将有助于增进我们对植物间寄生的了解，促进合作并促进这一令人兴奋的研究领域的发展。