Imperial Valley press., 1929-03-16
COLLECTION OF
DESERT SEEDS
IS INTERESTING

j. B. Norton, plant pathologiSt for
the county Horticultural department,
is making Il collection of the seeds
Of wild plants found in this county
and tn" number has already reached
over 200 specimens. Five rascs Of
seed samples labeled and classified.
have been put up in the hortical-
tural commissioner 5 office aud moro
will follow.
The collection viii be invaluable
to the office in comparing weed seed
found in grain samples and in idan-
tifymg the seed Of plant pests. TIL
general public VIII find inspection
of the collection interesting and the
home gardner viii gain information
, here aS the collection. when COM
pIctc, will contain the seed Of all
field and garden p'Wts fouud in tl.s
cudniy.
Norton las much Interesting data
of q popular narurc at hand concern
jng some OF these wild "derizrns OF
the desert. There is the little
plant bearing IN oily yrl]ov. Sod,
tac desert dalca The Sod is rich
in a bright yellow dye that stains
the cgrton in which it is contained.
, On deira lives the parasitc plant,
drloa raffirs, a tiny brown nubhju
OF 4 plant that is closely related to
th" largest flower in the world, a
blossom found IN Suuiatran unglcs
that measures a meteor in diameter
This desert ratflcs entirely lo,ps it,,
own identity wi,hin the body of th,
| host. plant, save for tie characters
iStic blossoms which it puts out
along the stems of its host.
Unlike this parasite is another. tho
mesquite mistlcroo, which keeps its
own identity, and hangs in great
profGSion on the boughs Of tile dc5.
crt mesquite.
Birds Are Collectors
'Thr mockiuG birds collected
those seeds for me- said Norton.
! Mesquite mistioto, seeds have a
sticky covering tApt tn" birds low,
50 they shell it off and wipe their
h,aE> free Of the seed, en- the mos.
quite twigs | have seen tvigS bu.fr
up several inches With mass,s Of
/ these seeds thai ;nr birds have
wiped off their bil', OF course that
is bow the plan; parasites take roo:
( in the trees.
"Th"n here's aaoth.r strange
! parasitic known t. ,h, indiana, as
"d@ort food 1t looks like a
mushroom bat it ISN'T 1t is cap-
t%l food and sonn poop,. say II
tastes like q sweet potato. Th.a,
seeds were gathered near Ca1.pa.r.a
and it is also found in tlr sand
dunes near Gray's Wells. W. have
not found its host plant as yet, how
ever.
"Thrsn plant, Of the mustard
family are economically Important
for they carry the Ecc that are trans.
mittod TO cabbage plants, The goose
toot~ and their relative, are hosts a.
the bug tb@t prevents cormar~'g
! beet growing in Imperial Valley, hy
cauSug what is kuoWu as 'carly
top,'
"'Th1 wild gou"l vines are host.
10 the cantaIoupc mildcw and thry
carry the spores over from season t,
season. Pea mildcw finds summer
host in knot weed and th' four sort.
Of wild oats found in tine yanry ar,
hosts to grain rust
''Bcrmuda grass, the tavorit,
lawn of the valley, is host to the
thrjp that attacks SO many truck
crops hero and ciSrWhcro.
\ knowledge Of these weed seed
is important to plant industry in the
valley end this collection win form
a valuable basis Of comparison in
identifying pests brought ia froW
other parts Of the couutry.
$500,