The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1907-12-27
<a) f1oWering Cluster; (b) Cluster Of
Dry Seed Vessels.

Dry Seed Vessels.
GENTLY, as rule. to render its pres
ence noticeable for a short distance
This permits removal Of the plants
with the least loss to the stand and
with the most likelihood OF success.
Different kinds of dodder exhibit In
the field individual habits well wor.
thy OF consideration in detecting their
presence, such as low-growing or high.
growing tendencies and their manner
OF spreading from plant to plant.
Field dodder grows to the top of the
host plants, throws out its branches.
and rapidly extends from plant to
plant, often forming a dense yellow
carpet Of tangled branches covering
and bearing down the crop. as shown
ls our Illustration. Small-seeded al.
falfa dodder, on the other hand, con-
fines its growth exclusively to the
lower part of the host plant, rarely ex.
ceeding a foot from the ground. 1t
spreads slowly from plant to plant,
combining itself chiefly to the several
branches Of the individual alfalfa
plant. While patch of field dodder
can be seen long distance, the 9TH
er, when the stand is at all thick, can
be observed for but few feet.
The habit of clover dodder differs
from that of each of the kinds pre-
viously described. It's Towering stems
usually climb the host stems for
foot or more The vegetative stems,
by means of which the plant spreads
to new host plants, form a dense mat,
or carpet, close to the ground, wind
ing in and out among the host stems
often completely surrounding them
and hiding the ground In this way
the spreading of the plant is rapid and
very effective. The early growth of
this plant is not readily detected at
a distance.
The effect on the crop differs with
these different habits of growth. Field
dodder destroys it's host plants in ir-
regular patches, probably in many in
stances as much by bearing down and
smothering the crop as by the with
drawal of plant food All of the crop
plants within an infested area are
likely to be attacked. Small seeded
alfalfa dodder, confning it's attacks
chiefly to individual resistent and
naturally long-lived plants, eventually
causes a general thinning of the
stand through the death of scattered
individual plants. Healthy, infested
and nearly dead alfalfa plants thus
often occur in close proximity.
Clover dodder attacks every clover
plant and to greater or less extent
other plants within the infested area.
1t destroys rapidly, and its progress
from the original point of attack is SO
uniform that distinctly circular areas
barred of living clover or alfalfa result
These circular spots of dead plants
are very characteristic marks of the
destruction caused by this species.
A narrow band of living dodder stems
will be found bordering the circle of |
destroyed plants.
Flax dodder bears down the flax |
plants and is therefore sometimes
Jailed "pull-down." 1t also draws the
lops of the plants together. Both
arge-seeded alfalfa dodder and Chill
san dodder ascend to the top of the
nost plant. The former produces
tense flower and fruiting clusters;
he latter appears to have more
,pen habit and scattered flower sys.
em. Id
The form and appearance Of the
lower clusters differ with the differ.
mt kinds of dodder. Clover dodder
lovers are in small compact clusters !,