New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 199 
five species the seeds of which occur in alfalfa seed; viz., Cuscuta 
epithymum Murr., C. planiflora Ten., C. arvensis Beyrich, C. m- 
decora Choisy and C. racemosa chileana Engelm. Doubtless, seeds 
of all these species have been sown with alfalfa seed in New York 
and plants of all of them may exist here. Our field observations 
have not been sufficiently numerous to enable us to make a positive 
statement on this point. The problem is somewhat difficult owing 
to the fact that, in this State dodder in alfalfa fields flowers spar- 
ingly, and without either the flowers or seeds it is impossible to de- 
termine the species with accuracy. All of the flowering specimens 
examined by us have proven to be Cuscuta epithymum Murr. It 
is likely that this species is by far the most common one in New 
York alfalfa fields. It is also of frequent occurrence in clover 
fields here. 
The color of dodder threads varies from yellow to red. On cer- 
tain alfalfa plants or on certain spots all of the dodder threads may 
be yellow while on other plants or other spots they are all decid- 
edly reddish. These differences in color are so marked, some- 
times, as to suggest the idea that yellow-threaded dodder and red- 
threaded dodder may be two different species, but the writers have 
been unable to convince themselves that such is the case. Specimens 
with only yellow threads and others with only reddish threads have 
all shown themselves to be Cuscuta epithymum when they have 
produced flowers. 
The dodders which attack alfalfa are atahis of- thriving, for a 
time at least, on some other plants; but New York farmers need 
have no fear of serious trouble with dodder in any crops excepting 
alfalfa and clover. It is a common thing for alfalfa dodder to twine 
around such weeds as occur on the infested spots, particularly ox- 
eye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthenum L.), dandelion (Taraxa- 
cum ofticinale Weber), and fleabane (Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers.). 
By means of its haustoria the dodder fastens onto these weeds quite 
as firmly as on alfalfa. On dandelion and fleabane it frequently 
lives over winter. Yet it appears to do the weeds no serious harm 
and infests them only when they are mixed with alfalfa or clover. 
DODDER SEEDLINGS. 
The following statements about seedlings are based upon obser- 
vations made by the writers on seedlings of Cuscuta epithymum 
grown in the Station greenhouse. 
Alfalfa seeds and dodder seeds sown together in boxes of earth 
