If you ever find yourself staring at a tangle of orange spaghetti in a grassland, it's probably a dodder plant. These talented, strange parasites have no leaves or roots, but plenty of other tricks to make sure that they succeed. Learn about plant communication systems, haustoria, plus a bonus fun tale of a maiden in a prairie looking for love. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site! How to Manage Pests: Dodder. University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources. Penn State. 2018. Agricultural parasite takes control of host plant's genes. Science X Network. Shen, G., Liu, N., et at. 2020. _Cuscuta australis_ (dodder) parasite eavesdrops on the host plants’ FT signals to flower. PNAS 117(3). Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology. 2017. Dodder: A parasite involved in the plant alarm system. Science Daily. Contact Website Facebook Twitter [email protected]