posted on February 24, 2008 12:46:43 PM new
Judging from the verse, I would guess it is what we call a "strangle vine" or "dodder":
"Dodders are also known as Beggarweed, Hellweed, Strangle Vine, Love Tangle, Scaldweed, Devil’s Guts, and Devil’s Hair. A close relative of the Morning Glory — that fast-growing annual vine with the four- to five-inch blooms in pink, white, blue, and red — the Dodder in its many varieties is responsible for millions of dollars of crop damage."
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