365 Urban Species. #211: Dodder

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Photos by cottonmanifesto. Location: Olmsted Park, Boston.

Urban species #211: Dodder Cuscuta gronovii

Like Indian pipe, dodder is a plant without chlorophyll, a self-contradictory organism, but a quite successful one. Dodder--orange not green--parasitizes other plants. It sprouts alongside a potential host, and quickly twines around it, drawing nutrients until it no longer needs its own roots. With no leaves, and a ropy growth habit, dodder resembles spaghetti wrapped about the victim of its attention. It doesn't cause the death of its host, at least not until the dodder has produced its tiny waxy flowers, and then its seeds.

There are many species of dodder, including some that are host-specific, and others, that are generalists. They can be difficult to tell apart from one another, without an expert's training and a hand lens to examine the flowers. Dodder's presence in the city is dependent primarily on the presence of appropriate host plants.


Take that, purple loosestrife!