Survival is a fierce and relentless business. And the strategies for survival are many.

Parasitism – in which one organism benefits at the expense of another – is one of the most ancient strategies for survival. Across the plains, deserts and mountains of West Texas, organisms take advantage of this tactic.

One example is the parasitic plant known as dodder. Studying this native plant carries us into a world of complex adaptations and invisible chemical cues.

It will invade shrubs, herbaceous plants and trees. And on agricultural and horticultural crops – alfalfa, tomatoes, flax, trumpet vine – it can be devastating. With leaves like tiny scales, it appears as a mass of tang...