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Re: Plants along beaches

There are times when I wish hedera were outlawed in Britain too, and it's 
native here! In the coastal woods around Torquay it is often virtually
the only understory plant, aside from Hartstongue Ferns (Asplenium
scolopendrium)

As for Orobanche hederacea (note sp.), this is the commonest of the 5 or
6 species of Orobanche in Britain. All of them are parasites (they lack
chlorophyll, so cannot make their own food). They are commonly known as
broomrapes, and since they are only visible at flowering time it's always 
a bit of a treat to come across one. O.hederacea (Ivy Broomrape) is quite 
common around Torquay and even commoner in Bristol. There is plenty of it 
in the University Botanic Garden and although in the wild it seems to be
quite specific to ivy, in cultivation it is far less fussy and will grow
on all sorts of plants including Verbena bonariensis! The flowers aren't
purple, more a sort of ghostly creamy white, and I think they are very
attractive, though they may not be to everyone's taste.

One plant I have never seen is Toothwort (Lathraea squamaria) which is
supposed to be fairly common. It parasitizes hazel and other broadleaved
trees, and has pale purplish flowers. And then there are Cytinus, which
parasitize Cistus........

Tristan
> 
> > >Oh, how I wish Hedera were outlawed in California!!!  People forget that
> > >their beloved plant can be a neighbor's pest.
> 
> Just for information - there is currently research going on at the U.W. to
> determine non-invasive varieties of Hedera so that it can still be
> available as a useful ornamental and not invade the forests.  Here
> (Pacific Northwest) it takes over large areas of forest and essentially
> prevents anything else from getting established.
> 
> A side note: There is a parasite, Orobranche hederae, that attacks Hedera
> though unfortunately it doesn't actually harm or even limit the plant.  It
> is supposed to have very pleasant orchid-like purple flowers.  Has anyone
> grown it?
> 
> Bob
> 
>
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