Looking for Love, Vine - February Ecoquest

It's February and that means love is in the air, or more accurately for our Sarasota-Manatee February Ecoquest hanging from our trees as this month we are Looking for Love Vine! Love vine, Cassytha filiformis, is a parasitic vine native to Florida in the Lauraceae family, the same family as avocados. While the name “love vine” stems from its reputation as an aphrodisiac, this plant is anything but sweet! As a parasitic vine, it twines itself around host branches and then penetrates the host’s tissues with specialized appendages called haustoria that resemble tiny suction cups. Once attached, haustoria absorb water and nutrients from the host. While it does not typically kill the host plant, it can adversely affect the health of the tree and reduce its reproductive capacity.

If you want to learn more about Love Vine, where to find love, and the ecoquest check out the ecoquest page here!

Posted on February 2, 2021 05:55 PM by sean_patton sean_patton

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