Flora of North America species comparison

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Cuscuta indecora

Convolvulaceae

big seed alfalfa dodder, collared dodder, inelegant dodder, large-seed dodder

morning-glory family
Habit Annuals, perennials, subshrubs, shrubs, vines, or lianas [trees], some with milky sap; Cuscuta parasitic, achlorophyllous.
Stems

yellow to orange, slender to medium.

decumbent, erect, procumbent, repent, trailing, or twining-climbing.
Leaves

alternate, usually simple, sometimes compound;

stipules absent;

petiole present or absent;

blade margins entire, toothed, or lobed.
Inflorescences

loose to dense, paniculiform or corymbiform, sometimes originating endogenously;

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

axillary, ± cymose or flowers solitary; bracteate or not; bracteolate or not.
Pedicels

0.5–6 mm, usually papillate.

Flowers

5-merous, 3–4.5(–5.3) mm, fleshy, perianth cells convex, domelike, perianth and ovary usually papillate;

calyx creamy yellow to brownish, cupulate, 1/2–3/4 or longer than corolla tube length, divided 1/3–2/3 its length, not reticulate or shiny, lobes triangular-ovate to lanceolate, bases overlapping or not, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex acute to attenuate;

corolla white, drying creamy yellow to dark brown, 2.5–4(–5) mm, tube campanulate to campanulate-cylindric, becoming subglobose or urceolate, 1.7–3 mm, not saccate, lobes suberect to erect, triangular-ovate, 1/3 to equaling corolla tube length, margins entire, apex acute, inflexed;

infrastaminal scales subspatulate to spatulate, 1.7–3 mm, equaling corolla tube length, bridged at 0.3–0.9 mm, usually rounded, rarely truncate or 2 or 3(or 4)-lobed, uniformly densely fimbriate, fimbriae 0.4–0.7 mm;

stamens barely exserted or included, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.3–0.7 mm;

anthers 0.3–0.8 × 0.2–0.5 mm;

styles filiform, 1–2.5 mm, equaling ovary.

bisexual [unisexual], actinomorphic or weakly zygomorphic;

calyx persistent, sepals 5, distinct or proximally connate, equal or unequal;

corolla blue, cream, green, lavender, maroon, pink, purple, rose, violet, white, or yellow, campanulate, funnelform, rotate, salverform, tubular, or urceolate, limb (3–)5-lobed or -toothed or entire, induplicate, sometimes also convolute, in bud;

nectary annular or cup-shaped, sometimes 5-lobed or absent;

stamens (3–)5, distinct, filaments inserted on corolla tube, anthers 2-celled, linear or oblong, dehiscent by slits;

ovary superior, 1–4(–6)-locular, placentation basal or basal-axile, ovules 1–6 per locule, anatropous, bitegmic, crassi- or tenuinucellate;

styles 1 or 2;

stigmas 1 or 2, capitate, globose, peltate, or 2(–4)-lobed.
Fruits

usually capsular, sometimes berrylike (nutlike), dehiscent or indehiscent.
Capsules

globose to subglobose, 2–3.5 × 1.9–4(–5) mm, thickened and raised around relatively mid-sized interstylar aperture, translucent, surrounded or capped by withered corolla, indehiscent.

Seeds

2–4, shape heterogeneous on same plant: obcompressed to weakly angled, broadly ellipsoid to transversely oblique, 1.4–1.8 × 1.2–1.6 mm, hilum region usually subterminal, rarely almost terminal.

1–4(–6), black, brown, green, or yellow, ellipsoid, globose, obcompressed, or pyramidal, glabrous or hairy;

endosperm absent or scant, cartilaginous;

embryo straight, cotyledons usually folded, rarely absent.

Cuscuta indecora

Convolvulaceae
Distribution
from USDA
North America; Mexico; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
nearly worldwide
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Cuscuta indecora is closely related to C. coryli; it differs by its usually five-merous, larger flowers, uniformly densely fimbriate infrastaminal scales, and more or less translucent, globose to subglobose capsules.

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

Genera 56, species 1600–1700 (18 genera, 167 species in the flora).

A traditional circumscription of Convolvulaceae, including Cuscuta and Dichondra, is followed here. Cuscuta is sometimes treated as a distinct family, Cuscutaceae Dumortier, and, less commonly, Dichondra has been treated in a distinct family, Dichondraceae Dumortier (A. Cronquist 1981; A. B. Rendle 1959).

In addition to hundreds of horticultural cultivars, economically important members of Convolvulaceae include Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato) and species of Calystegia that are agricultural weeds. Some species of Convolvulaceae are sources of hallucinogens and medicines, especially purgatives.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Calyces shorter than corolla tubes, divided 1/3–1/2 lengths, lobes triangular-ovate, bases overlapping.
var. indecora
1. Calyces longer than corolla tubes, divided 2/3 lengths, lobes lanceolate, bases not overlapping.
→ 2
2. Flower clusters loose; calyx lobe apices acute; hosts: herbs and woody plants, including Iva annua.
var. longisepala
2. Flower clusters dense; calyx lobe apices acute-attenuate; hosts: usually Iva annua, rarely Symphyotrichum.
var. attenuata
1. Plants parasitic (lacking chlorophyll).
Cuscuta
1. Plants not parasitic (autotrophic).
→ 2
2. Stems usually ascending, creeping, decumbent, erect, procumbent, prostrate, or trailing, seldom twining-climbing; leaves: larger blades 10–30(–100) mm; styles usually 2 (1 in Convolvulus).
→ 3
3. Stigmas or stigma lobes cylindric, linear, filiform, subclavate, subulate, or spatulate.
→ 4
4. Leaves sessile or subsessile; styles 2, stigma lobes 4, filiform to subclavate.
Evolvulus
4. Leaves usually petiolate, rarely sessile; styles 1, stigma lobes 2, cylindric, linear, or spatulate.
Convolvulus (in part)
3. Stigmas capitate, globose, or peltate.
→ 5
5. Styles: insertion ± basal; fruits subglobose to ± compressed, ± incised and 2-lobed, indehiscent or shattering irregularly.
Dichondra
5. Styles: insertion not ± basal; fruits conic, fusiform, globose, oblong-ovoid, or ovoid, dehiscence valvate.
→ 6
6. Leaf blades 1–14 mm.
→ 7
7. Stems decumbent to erect, seldom, if ever, mat-forming; corollas salverform, white, 5–7 mm.
Cressa
7. Stems decumbent, erect, prostrate, or trailing, sometimes mat-forming; corollas ± campanulate, greenish yellow to yellow, 3–4 mm.
Petrogenia
6. Leaf blades (1–)10–60(–100).
→ 8
8. Sepals 9–28 mm; corollas blue, blue-purple, or white with blue limb, 35–85 mm.
Bonamia
8. Sepals 4–11 mm; corollas usually white, sometimes lavender, maroon, pink, purple, or red, 8–25 mm.
Stylisma
2. Stems usually twining-climbing, sometimes repent or trailing, rarely almost absent, ascending, decumbent, erect, or procumbent; leaves: larger blades (10–)40–270 mm; styles 1.
→ 9
9. Fruits indehiscent.
→ 10
10. Sepals lanceolate-linear, 1–2 mm; corollas white, to 8 mm.
Poranopsis
10. Sepals elliptic, oblong, or ovate to orbiculate, 7–20 mm; corollas lavender, purple, purplish red, red, white, or yellow, 25–95 mm.
→ 11
11. Leaf blade abaxial surfaces black-glandular-punctate; fruits dry, 25–30 mm.
Stictocardia
11. Leaf blade abaxial surfaces glabrous, glabrate, or white-hairy; fruits fleshy or dry, 10–15 mm.
→ 12
12. Leaf blades 180–270 mm; sepals ovate, 15–20 mm; corollas lavender, 60–65 mm; fruits berrylike, fleshy.
Argyreia
12. Leaf blades 40–100 mm; sepals oblong, 7–12 mm; corollas proximally purplish, distally ± white with greenish bands, 25–40 mm; fruits capsular or nutlike, dry.
Turbina
9. Fruits dehiscent.
→ 13
13. Stigmas or stigma lobes cylindric, elliptic, linear, oblong, reniform, spatulate, or subulate.
→ 14
14. Stems hairy, hairs usually branched, glandular, and/or stellate, sometimes simple.
Jacquemontia
14. Stems glabrous or hairy, hairs not branched, glandular, or stellate.
→ 15
15. Sepals (5–)8–15(–25) mm; ovary 1-locular; stigma lobes linear to oblong, apices blunt.
Calystegia
15. Sepals 3–12 mm; ovary 2-locular; stigma lobes cylindric to spatulate, apices acute.
Convolvulus (in part)
13. Stigmas or stigma lobes capitate or globose.
→ 16
16. Fruit dehiscence circumscissile.
Operculina
16. Fruit dehiscence irregular or valvate.
→ 17
17. Anthers twisted after dehiscence; pollen usually 3–9-colpate, rarely aggrecolpate, not echinate.
Merremia
17. Anthers straight after dehiscence; pollen rugate and not echinate (Aniseia) or pantoporate and echinate (Ipomoea).
→ 18
18. Sepals notably accrescent in fruit, outer 3 notably longer than inner 2; corolla white, campanulate, 25–30 mm.
Aniseia
18. Sepals seldom notably accrescent in fruit, outer 3 not notably longer than inner 2; corolla usually blue, lavender, pink, purple, red, violet, or white, sometimes orange, red and yel­low, or red-orange, usually funnelform, sometimes campanulate or salverform, (6–)20–80(–150+) mm.
Ipomoea
Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14. Author: Daniel F. Austin†.
Parent taxa Convolvulaceae > Cuscuta > subg. Grammica
Sibling taxa
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. 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
Subordinate taxa
C. indecora var. attenuata, C. indecora var. indecora, C. indecora var. longisepala
Aniseia, Argyreia, Bonamia, Calystegia, Convolvulus, Cressa, Cuscuta, Dichondra, Evolvulus, Ipomoea, Jacquemontia, Merremia, Operculina, Petrogenia, Poranopsis, Stictocardia, Stylisma, Turbina
Name authority Choisy: Mém. Soc. Phys. Genève 9: 278, plate 3, fig. 3. (1842) Jussieu
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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