Cuscuta dodder

• Cuscuta dodder, an invasive weed, native to North America, is slowly choking the Chengalpet forests and Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, threatening the local vegetation, ecology and habitat of migratory birds.

ABOUT CUSCUTA DODDER

• Cuscuta dodder is a parasitic vine without roots.
• It is also known as Akashbel or Amarbel.
• This holoparasitic plant builds a canopy on the host plant and casts thousands of tendrils to form a dense spectacle before it strangles and eventually kills it.
• The seeds of Cuscuta are spheroid and have a hard, coat, which aids them to survive up to 50 years in dry storage and at least 10 years in the field.
• Legislation in 25 countries has listed the dodder as a ‘declared noxious weed’ with seeds and plant material denied entrance.
  • In United States, it is the only weed seed whose movement is prohibited in every state.
• Unlike root parasites, Cuscuta seeds do not require a specific stimulant to induce germination.
• In India, Cuscuta poses a serious problem in oilseeds, pulses and fodder crops in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Orissa, West Bengal and parts of Madhya Pradesh under rain fed as well as irrigated conditions.

ABOUT VEDANTHANGAL BIRD SANCTUARY

• Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, located at Chengalpattu District of Tamil Nadu.
• It is a 74 acre protected area, established in 1796 as the first ever bird sanctuary in India.
• This site is recognized internationally as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA).