Distribution and Host Plants of Parasitic Weed Cuscuta pentagona Engelm.

Abstract

Abstract - Surveys were conducted to study nationwide distribution and identify habitats and host plants of Cuscuta pentagona Engelm. as a parasite. The major habitat types were arable land near agricultural waterways (54.3%), open field near roadside (41.3%) and artificial grassland (4.3%). The investigated host plants of Cuscuta pentagona consist of total 130taxa: 10 varieties, 1 subspecies, 119 species, 95 genera, and 37 families. Among them, 30 taxa were alien plants. As for the useful plants, there were 59 taxa of edible ones (45.4%), 54 taxa of medicinal ones (41.5%), 13 taxa of ornamental ones (10%), 13 taxa of industrial ones (10%), and 9 taxa of pasture ones (6.9%). On arable land, it caused damage particularly to the growth of agricultural crops such as Oryza sativa L. (Rice) and fruits such as Malus pumila Mill. (Apple) etc. Its growth and distribution may cause economic loss for crops because of the close location of the arable land.