The Dodders
What are they?
The dodders are peculiar plants that grow as parasites on a variety of other plants. Dodders have no green parts as they do not need chlorophyll to make food from sunlight. Stems tend to be whitish or yellowish and leaves are reduced to tiny scales. Flowers are more or less colorless and usually borne in stemless clusters.
Where are they found?
Found in a variety of usually more or less open habitats in old fields, roadsides and scrubby areas. Some species are typically found in wet areas.
Identification
Dodders can often be difficult to identify to species and minute details of flower structure are often required.
Five-angled Dodder Cuscuta pentagona
Seemingly always uncommon in the Cape May area, but may occasionally appear on a variety of herbaceous plant species. Flowers August to September. Flowers with distinctly pointed and hooked tips to the five petals.
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Gronovius' Dodder Cuscuta gronovii
(Scaldweed) Common in wet woodland and other shady, damp places. Flowers August to October. Flowers in loose, open clusters.
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Compact Dodder Cuscuta compacta
Fairly frequent on a range of herbaceous perennials, usually in wetland habitats. Flowers July to October. Stems bright yellow or orange. Flowers in long, strung-out clusters.
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