ests ▁near ▁stream ▁banks . ▁Other ▁locations ▁are ▁mar sh es , ▁sw amps , ▁and ▁any ▁wet ▁habit ats . ▁C usc uta ▁compact a ▁can ▁par as it ize ▁both ▁her b ace ous ▁and ▁but ▁especially ▁special ize ▁on ▁wo ody ▁hosts . ▁C usc uta ▁is ▁highly ▁diverse ▁being ▁found ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁world ▁yet ▁majority ▁of ▁this ▁genus ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁Amer icas . ▁ ▁Par as it ism ▁ ▁C . ▁compact a ▁ ▁is ▁a ▁heter ot roph ic ▁par as it ic ▁plant ▁meaning ▁they ▁attach ▁themselves ▁around ▁other ▁plants ▁and ▁remove ▁their ▁nut ri ents . ▁As ▁compact ▁dod ders ▁age ▁over ▁time , ▁it ▁does ▁not ▁grow ▁any ▁roots . ▁Instead ▁of ▁growing ▁roots , ▁it ▁produces ▁a ▁sl ender ▁shoot ▁that ▁develop s ▁into ▁tend r ils . ▁Although ▁it ▁takes ▁time , ▁the ▁tend r ils ▁begin ▁to ▁b end ▁and ▁move ▁in ▁different ▁directions ▁until ▁it ▁has ▁attached ▁itself ▁to ▁a ▁host . ▁In ▁a ▁controlled ▁lab ▁environment ▁C usc uta ▁compact a ▁ ▁can ▁attach ▁itself ▁to ▁many ▁host ▁at ▁one ▁time . ▁Yet ▁in ▁the ▁wild , ▁this ▁species ▁C . ▁compact a ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁more ▁select ive ▁for ▁hosts . ▁ ▁Germ ination ▁ ▁Germ ination ▁occurs ▁when ▁the ▁emb ry o ▁begins ▁to ▁grow ▁and ▁burst s ▁from ▁the ▁seed ▁coat . ▁Then ▁the ▁process ▁begins ▁only ▁after ▁the ▁seed ▁absor bs ▁water . ▁The ▁emb ry o ▁then ▁starts ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁stored ▁food