Saturday 1 October 2016

Hunting for Cuscuta epithymum (Dodder) at its only site in Wexford

 Dodder has been known from the dunes by Lady's Island Lake since 1922. Roy Watson found this site in 2012, it is the only extant site in the county. I have tried a number of times to find it, but no luck, only having a 6 figure map reference to go on, even though the details Roy gave me should of helped me find it. This year Roy gave me a 8 figure map reference. Walking on the track across the dunes with my GPS I matched my GPS reading with Roy's map reference. It took sometime still to find, as there was so little of it. No sign it had flowered this year.

In the above and below pictures you can see the red strands of the Dodder.

 Above and below: the Dodder grows where the two tracks meet, the only area of short turf.

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