Some Growth Aspects of <i>Seymeria</i> cassioicies

The root parasite, Seymeria cassioides, will not initiate height growth without attachment to a host root when grown under normal ferti l i ty conditions, although the seedling may remain alive for 40 days or more without a host. Durirrg this time the roots elongate markedly. Fresh pine root segments do not influence the direction of root growth. Although S. cassioides is always root parasitic in nature, it apparently produces most of its own food, as plants that are vigorously parasitizing pines die when placed in the dark even though the host plant is exposed to light. Additional keywords: root parasite, hemiparasite, Scrophulariaceae.