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butterbush dodder, button-bush dodder

beak dodder

Stems

yellow-orange, medium.

orange, coarse.

Inflorescences

dense to loose, spiciform or paniculiform, commonly originating endogenously;

bracts at base of clusters 1 or 2, at base of pedicels and/or flowers 0 or 1, ovate, membranous, margins entire or serrulate, apex obtuse to acute.

dense, paniculiform to glomerulate;

bracts at base of clusters 1 or 2, at base of pedicels 0 or 1, ovate, membranous, margins entire, apex acute.

Pedicels

0–1 mm.

0.9–2 mm.

Flowers

(3 or)4(or 5)-merous, 2–3 mm, membranous, not papillate;

calyx yellow-brown, shallowly cupulate, 1/2 corolla tube length, divided 2/3 its length, not reticulate, not shiny, lobes oblong-ovate, bases slightly overlapping, margins entire or serrulate, midvein not carinate, apex obtuse;

corolla white, drying creamy white, 1.8–2.8 mm, tube cylindric-campanulate to cylindric, 1.1–2.2 mm, not saccate, lobes spreading, ovate, 1/3–1/2 corolla tube length, margins entire, apex obtuse, straight;

infrastaminal scales oblong, rounded, 0.9–1.7 mm, shorter than to equaling corolla tube length, bridged at 0.2–0.4 mm, sparsely fimbriate, more densely distally, fimbriae 0.1–0.3 mm;

stamens included to slightly exserted, equaling corolla lobes;

filaments 0.2–0.4 mm;

anthers 0.2–0.4 × 0.2–0.4 mm;

styles filiform or narrowly terete, (0.6–)1–2 mm, equaling or longer than ovary.

5-merous, 4–6(–7) mm, membranous, not papillate;

calyx yellow-brown, cupulate, 1/3–1/2 corolla tube length, divided 3/5–2/3 its length, not reticulate or shiny, lobes triangular-ovate to broadly ovate, bases overlapping, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex obtuse;

corolla white, drying creamy yellow to brownish, 3.8–5.8 mm, tube campanulate, 3–5 mm, not saccate, lobes suberect to spreading or reflexed, ovate, 1/4–1/3 corolla tube length, margins entire, apex rounded, straight;

infrastaminal scales oblong to obovate, 1.5–2.8 mm, 1/2–2/3 corolla tube length, bridged at 0.5–0.7 mm, rounded, sparsely fimbriate at base, more dense in distal 1/2, fimbriae 0.3–0.9 mm;

stamens exserted, shorter than to equaling corolla lobes;

filaments 0.5–0.7 mm;

anthers 0.6–0.8 × 0.4–0.5 mm;

styles filiform, 1–1.5 mm, equaling ovary.

Capsules

depressed-globose to globose, 2.5–3.2(–4) × 2–4 mm, not thickened or raised around relatively small interstylar aperture, not translucent, capped by withered corolla, indehiscent.

broadly ovoid, 4–7 × 4–5.5 mm, with stout beak 1–1.5 mm, raised and thickened around relatively small interstylar aperture, not translucent, surrounded by withered corolla, indehiscent.

Seeds

1 or 2, obcompressed, broadly ovoid, 1.4–2 × 1.3–1.4 mm, hilum region terminal.

2–4, obcompressed to obscurely angled, ovoid to oblong, 1.7–2.5 × 1.3–1.6 mm, hilum region subterminal.

2n

= 60.

Cuscuta cephalanthi

Cuscuta rostrata

Phenology Flowering Jun–Oct. Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat stream and lake shores, marshes, and floodplain forests. forests, especially along streams.
Elevation 0–1500 m. (0–4900 ft.) 800–2000 m. (2600–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; AZ; CA; CT; DC; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; ME; MI; MN; NC; ND; NE; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; WA; WI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
GA; KY; MD; NC; SC; TN; VA; WV
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cuscuta rostrata is distinguished by its relatively large flowers, beaked capsules, and Appalachian range.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Convolvulaceae > Cuscuta > subg. Grammica Convolvulaceae > Cuscuta > subg. Grammica
Sibling taxa
C. americana, C. approximata, C. azteca, C. boldinghii, C. brachycalyx, C. californica, C. campestris, C. chinensis, C. compacta, C. coryli, C. cuspidata, C. dentatasquamata, C. denticulata, C. draconella, C. epilinum, C. epithymum, C. erosa, C. europaea, C. exaltata, C. glabrior, C. glomerata, C. gronovii, C. harperi, C. howelliana, C. indecora, C. japonica, C. jepsonii, C. legitima, C. leptantha, C. liliputana, C. mitriformis, C. nevadensis, C. obtusiflora, C. occidentalis, C. odontolepis, C. pacifica, C. pentagona, C. plattensis, C. polygonorum, C. rostrata, C. runyonii, C. salina, C. squamata, C. suaveolens, C. subinclusa, C. suksdorfii, C. tuberculata, C. umbellata, C. umbrosa, C. warneri
C. americana, C. approximata, C. azteca, C. boldinghii, C. brachycalyx, C. californica, C. campestris, C. cephalanthi, C. chinensis, C. compacta, C. coryli, C. cuspidata, C. dentatasquamata, C. denticulata, C. draconella, C. epilinum, C. epithymum, C. erosa, C. europaea, C. exaltata, C. glabrior, C. glomerata, C. gronovii, C. harperi, C. howelliana, C. indecora, C. japonica, C. jepsonii, C. legitima, C. leptantha, C. liliputana, C. mitriformis, C. nevadensis, C. obtusiflora, C. occidentalis, C. odontolepis, C. pacifica, C. pentagona, C. plattensis, C. polygonorum, C. runyonii, C. salina, C. squamata, C. suaveolens, C. subinclusa, C. suksdorfii, C. tuberculata, C. umbellata, C. umbrosa, C. warneri
Name authority Engelmann: Amer. J. Sci. Arts 43: 336, plate 6, figs. 1–6. (1842) Shuttleworth ex Engelmann & A. Gray: Boston J. Nat. Hist. 5: 225. (1845)
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