rrn 



DODDER, 417 



There are in India many species of Loranthus, which grow 

 on various species of forest trees* ; these they seriously injure. 

 Fortunately, infected trees are not generally found except 

 along the borders of a forest. Infected trees should be cut 

 out in thinnings. Arceuthobium Oxycedri, M. Bieb., is a small 

 loranthaceous parasite, on Juniperus excelsa, M. Bieb., in the 

 N.W. Himalayas ; also on a juniper in the French Alps, 

 Algeria, and Asia Minor ; also on several pines, in N. America. 

 It often kills its host. 



c. Dodder (Cuscuta, Tournef). 



There are several species of Cuscuta, of which C. Epithymum, 

 L., is the commonest in Britain, growing chiefly on furze, 

 thyme, ling, etc. ; and also on clover and lucerne ; whilst C. 

 Epilinum, Weihe, chiefly grows on flax ; and C. europaea, L., 

 on hops, nettles, vetches, etc., and also on many trees and 

 shrubs, such as hazel, willow, poplar and blackthorn. 



The various species of dodder germinate in the ground, 

 but speedily die unless they become attached to weeds or 

 agricultural or forest plants, on which they climb and pierce 

 down to their woody bundles by means of haustoria, or 

 sucker-like roots. 



The plants attacked by these parasites are killed or 

 weakened, or bent down by the weight of the dodder, and 

 much damage is thus done in India to small forest- and 

 avenue-trees, and to fruit-trees. 



Of European forest plants, osier-willows suffer most, as an 

 abnormal growth is produced at places where the haustoria 

 have pierced the cortex of the host, thus rendering the osiers 

 unfit for basket work. 



In the case of agricultural crops, care should be taken to 

 obtain seed free from dodder- seed. Where the dodder attacks 

 osiers, the shoots with the dodder on them should be cut as 

 low down as possible, at the beginning of the blossoming 

 period (end of June and beginning of July), and forthwith 

 burned. This operation should be repeated in consecutive 



* Vide paper by G. M. Eyan, "Indian Forester," December, 1899, p. 472 

 Loranthus longiflorus, Desrousseaux, is very common on teak standards over 

 coppice in the Bombay Presidency. 



F.P. E E 



