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

American dodder

Stems

yellow to orange, slender to medium.

yellow-orange, medium.

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.

glomerulate or densely paniculiform;

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

Pedicels

0.5–6 mm, usually papillate.

0.2–0.6 mm.

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.

5-merous, 2.5–4.2 mm, fleshy, not papillate;

calyx brownish, cylindric, equaling or slightly shorter than corolla tube length, divided 1/4 its length, not reticulate or shiny, lobes broadly ovate, bases overlapping, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex rounded to obtuse;

corolla white, drying brown, 2–3.3 mm, tube cylindric, 1.7–2.5 mm, not saccate, lobes usually erect, sometimes spreading, ovate, 1/5–1/4 corolla tube length, margins entire, apex obtuse, ± cucullate, or straight;

infrastaminal scales ovate to oblong, 1.4–2 mm, 3/4–4/5 corolla tube length, bridged at 0.6–1 mm, truncate to rounded, uniformly short-fimbriate, fimbriae 0.1–0.2 mm;

stamens included, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.1–0.3 mm;

anthers 0.2–0.4 × 0.2–0.4 mm;

styles filiform, 1.5–2.2 mm, longer than ovary.

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.

globose-ovoid to ovoid, 1.8–3 × 0.8–2 mm, not thickened or raised around relatively small interstylar aperture, not translucent, capped by withered corolla, dehiscence circumscissile.

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, subglobose to ellipsoid, 1.4–1.5 × 1–1.1 mm, hilum region terminal.

Cuscuta indecora

Cuscuta americana

Phenology Flowering Sep–Mar.
Habitat Hosts: Bursera, Celtis, Citha­rexylum, Colubrina, Coursetia, Haematoxylum, Haplo­phyton, Havardia, Janusia, Jatropha, Karwinskia, Mimosa, Prosopis, Sebastiania, Senna, Vallesia, and other herbs and woody plants.
Elevation 0–40 m. (0–100 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
North America; Mexico; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
[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.)

In Florida, Cuscuta americana may attack Citrus trees.

Cuscuta americana was used by the Aztecs to produce a yellow dye called zacatlaxcalli (B. de Sahagún 1950–1982).

(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
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. 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
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. 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
Name authority Choisy: Mém. Soc. Phys. Genève 9: 278, plate 3, fig. 3. (1842) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 124. (1753)
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