User:Oliverj28/sandbox

Description
Humulus lupulus var. lupuloides is a variety of the Humulus lupulus (common hop) in the Cannabaceae family. The common hop is a perennial, dioecious, herbaceous vine or vines that grows around trees or shrubs along rivers, streams, and creeks where soil drains well and can reach heights of 6 meters or more. The exterior layer of the vines are covered with two-hooked "climbing hairs" (0.3 mm in length) with usually more than 20 hairs per centimeter. The numerous tiny hairs help the vine attach to and grow up the host plant. The variety is identified by leaves with fewer lobes, many immature leaves and nodes, and increased numbers of short climbing hairs surrounding the petioles. Often pubescent leaves are exempilary of this variety, as well as in the Humulus lupulus varietys cordifolius and neomexicanus.



Distribution & Habitat
The variety lupuloides is predominately found in north-central United States and south-central Canada, growing along stream and river beds, in thickets, hedgerows, and other frequently disturbed sites. but it has been observed in many of the northern regions in the United States. The variety lupuloides has been discovered to predominately grow on four species of trees: box elder, green ash, hawthorn, and willow.

Uses
Hop plants have been cultivated for many years and have a wide range of uses. It has economic importance for use in pharmaceuticals, break making, salad greens, ornaments, pillow stuffing, textile fibers, and fodder(dry hay or feed). However, the hops or cones of the herbaceous plant are the most economically important part of the plant, a essential ingredient in the processing of beer. While this variety is not desired for beer making, it is responsible for the "most important transfer of American genes into noted hop cultivars." The bitterness of beer results from a presence of prenylated acylphloroglucinol derivatives, which are produced with each hop.

Animal Pests
The insect pest that feeds on this variety of hops is primarily the grasshopper from the genus (Melanoplus spp.); however other insects such as the ones listed below are known to damage hops plants. The lupuloides variety however, rarely was observed to exhibit significant damage from insects, perhaps suggesting an insect-repellent genotype.


 * Hop leaf aphid (Phorodon humuli)
 * Red spider mite (Tetranychus urticae)

Diseases

 * Downy mildew (Pseudoperonospora humuli)
 * Powdery mildew (Podosphaera macularis)
 * Verticillium Wilt (Verticillium spp)