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prairie dodder
Scientific Name: Cuscuta plattensis
Family: Cuscutaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Vine, Forb/herb
Duration: Annual
Other Names:
Dodder (Cuscuta spp.)
Dodder is the common name for a group of parasitic plants belonging to the genus Cuscuta. Several species are mentioned in the provided text, including:
- Field Dodder (Cuscuta pentagona)
- Prairie Dodder (Cuscuta campestris and Cuscuta plattensis)
- Rope Dodder (Cuscuta glomerata)
Other common names mentioned are Five-angled Dodder, Bushclover Dodder, Large-seeded Alfalfa Dodder, Smallseed Alfalfa Dodder, Smoothseed Alfalfa Dodder, and Alfalfa Dodder.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Genus: Cuscuta
- Family: Convolvulaceae (for Cuscuta campestris) and Cuscutaceae (for unspecified Cuscuta spp.)
Distribution and Habitat
- Dodder species are found in various habitats, including prairies, old fields, sandstone ledges, and coastal plain marshes.
- Specific locations mentioned include Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Konza Prairie (Kansas), Tandy Prairie, and the Blackbelt prairie region of Greene County.
Ecological Role
- Dodder is a parasitic plant, meaning it relies entirely on host plants for survival.
- It extracts nutrients from host plants, such as Baptisia or Desmodium species, by twining around them and using specialized structures.
Morphological Characteristics
- Dodder is described as an annual, yellow-orange vine.
- It twines around host plants to extract nutrients.
Considerations for Pets
- Dodder is a vine that grows by twining around other plants.
Quirky Facts
- One author describes Dodder in the prairie as looking like someone tossed a mess of orange plastic twine.