Somebody can help me out with the name???
Location: Bangkok (city)
I think I discovered again a parasatic plant
Need to see as many details as possible.
Any flowers or fruit. Leaves.
If it is parasitic it would have haustoria, which are specialized roots that sink into the tissues of the host plant and absorb nutrients.
Thanks Metrosideros! I was in a hurry, but I'll try to go back to there! This is already the third kind of parasite I found here in Bangkok!
The centre photo of the flowers looks like a Mistletoe, don't know the species. Possibly a Dendrophthoe but I don't know which ones you have over there.
The 1st plant look like Cassytha filiformis, Love Vine. It is indigenous to warm areas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassytha_filiformis
http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/87
http://botany.si.edu/pacificislandbiodiversity/hawaiianflora/result.cfm?genus=Cassytha&species=filiformis&rank1=&epithet1=
That stringy yellow plant also looks like the parasitic plant Cuscata which is called Dodder around here. The Cassytha and Cuscata look so much alike, are they kissing cousins Dave?
Hi Ardesia!
The two similar looking vines are in separate families. Cuscuta, Dodder, in the Cuscutaceae. Cassytha, Love Vine, in the Lauraceae.
Cuscuta is mostly found in the New World.
Cassytha is mostly found in the Old World.
Cassytha filiformis is a Pantropical indigenous species.
The most reliable distinction would be to see the flowers & fruit.
At a glance (at least here in Hawai'i) Dodder has a yellow color, with a silvery cast. Love Vine is green to orange.
http://www.starrenvironmental.com/images/species/?q=cuscuta+campestris&o=plants
http://www.starrenvironmental.com/images/species/?q=cassytha+filiformis&o=plants
This message was edited Dec 7, 2014 2:47 PM
Ah Ha, so they are only lookalikes - from a distance. Thanks, I always enjoy learning from you.
Yes, Dodder is very yellow here, and a terrible pest. I just went back and read the links and saw where it says the two plants are often confused.
Cassytha filiformis is called Dodder Laurel here. It's very widespread, even into the arid regions. The fruits are popular with the indigenous people. Although some plants have bitter fruit. Don't know if that's a varietal thing, or related to the particular host plant.