Parasitic Weed Seems to Smell Its Prey
September 29, 2006
This undated photo provided by the journal Science shows a seedling of the parasitic plant Cuscuta pentagona attaches to a tomato plant. The parasitic dodder plant seems to be able to sniff out its victims, coiling around crops and making itself a pest to many farmers. It's a finding researchers say may point to ways to head off this damaging weed. (AP Photo/Courtesy of De Moraes and Mescher Labs, Science, Justin Runyon )
(AP) -- The parasitic dodder plant doesn't have a nose, but it knows how to sniff out its prey. The dodder attacks such plants as tomatoes, carrots, onions, citrus trees, cranberries, alfalfa and even flowers, and is a problem for farmers because chemicals that kill the pesky weed also damage the crops it feeds on.
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