Aeonia

Aeonia (aeoniaceae) are a monotypic family of flowering plants. They are found exclusively in the highlands of Antarctica. They are descended from common thistles. At their peak, they get to about 2 feet in height.

Aeonia look like any normal plant. It has a spiky seed pod with a large, bright red-orange flower on the top. What makes them remarkable are their growth stages. Thistles are usually wind dispersed in areas with high nitrogen. However, the antarctic highlands are poor in nutrients and don't really have any wind. The thistles developed floating seeds that have tiny hooks along the pappus that are meant to get stuck in fur. 

Grazing animals walking through the fields kick up the seeds and get them stuck in their fur. The seeds then release roots that infiltrate empty hair follicles from shedding in the autumn. While being seeds, they have a resistance to iron and salt toxicity. The roots hit the vein in the bottom of the follicle and absorb all the nutrients. The aeonia uses the compound Quercetin to suppress the immunity of the host and continue to feed off of the blood. 

The plant dangles from the roots implanted in the skin until it is finally ready to flower. It flowers its bright bloom and then falls off, the roots immediately spread out and prop the plant back up. It uses the last of its energy to pollinate and produce seeds so that the cycle may continue.