Mineral composition ofCuscuta nevadensis Johnston (dodder) in relationship to its hosts

Summary The mineral composition of 16 samples of dodder (Cuscuta nevadensis Johnston) and leaves of eight species of its host plants collected from the northern Mojave Desert were examined to determine relationships between parasitism and transport of mineral elements from the host to the parasite. The K concentration of dodder was fairly constant for a wide range of host plants. It was sometimes less than and sometimes greater than that of the host. The concentrations of Ca, Mg, B, Mn, Mo, and Sr in dodder were always much lower than those of leaves of host plants. Those of Fe, P, and Al were sometimes higher. Sodium was generally excluded from dodder regardless of host concentration. Positive and significant correlation coefficients were obtained for concentration in doddervs concentration in leaves of host plants for P, Na, Ca, Mg, Cu, Mn, Mo, Sr, Ba, and Li. The coefficient of variation was less in the dodder than in leaves of the different host plants for 7 of 17 metals.