Flowering Dodder on Bryant's Heath

dodder
The pale pink flowers of Dodder make a nice contrast to the deep purple flowers of Bell Heather  Photo: Janet Higgins

The batologists found a mass of twinning red stems climbing over the mature Gorse Ulex europaea, belonging to the parasitic plant  Dodder Cuscuta epithymum. On an area of regenerating heath, the dodder had moved from the young Gorse onto the Bell Heather Erica cinerea. The absorptive pads could be seen attaching to the Bell Heather.

dodder
Rare albino variant of Dodder  Photo: Janet Higgins

 

Janet Higgins
10.07.2021