Photo of the Week: Stringy South Jetty Plant Life
Biologically speaking, life is all about the next generation.
At the South Jetty of the Columbia River this week, some plant is working hard to ensure its young take root and prosper by sending out extraordinarily long, tough, seed carrying orange tendrils to cover and perhaps choke out competing dune plants.
Anyone know what this is?
Photo by Tom Bartlett
It is saltmarsh dodder. Very interesting plant! http://www.beachwatchers.wsu.edu/ezidweb/shoreplants/Cuscuta.htm
Thanks for the ID Mary Jo! So this plant has no leaves or roots? I crawled around trying to figure out which of the plants in the area might be sending it forth – now I know why I couldn’t find a source.