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

dragon dodder

Stems

yellow to orange, slender to medium.

pale orange, slender.

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.

dense, glomerulate or fasciculate;

bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedicels 1 or 2, ovate-triangular to linear, membranous, margins entire, midvein with 1–3(–5) hornlike, multicellular protuberances, apex cuspidate to long-attenuate, ± recurved.

Pedicels

0.5–6 mm, usually papillate.

0.1–6 mm, sometimes 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.

5-merous, 2.5–3.6(–4) mm, fleshy, papillate or not;

calyx golden yellow to brown, campanulate, ± angled, equaling corolla tube length, divided 1/2–2/3 its length, reticulate and shiny or ± fleshy, lobes triangular-ovate or broadly ovate to subround, membranous, bases overlapping, margins irregularly serrulate, denticulate, or entire, midvein with 1 or 2(–5) hornlike, multicellular protuberances 0.1–0.3 mm, apex subacute, rounded, or obtuse;

corolla white, drying creamy yellow, 2–3.5 mm, tube campanulate, 1.2–1.6 mm, not saccate, lobes spreading to reflexed, triangular-ovate, equaling corolla tube length, margins entire or irregularly denticulate, apex ± cucullate, acute, cuspidate (sometimes 2 or 3-cuspidate), mucronate, or truncate, inflexed;

infrastaminal scales spatulate to obovate, 0.7–1 mm, 3/4 corolla tube length, bridged at 0.2–0.4 mm, densely fimbriate, fimbriae 0.2–0.3 mm;

stamens exserted, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.4–0.8 mm;

anthers 0.5–0.8 × 0.4–0.5 mm;

styles stout, filiform, 0.5–1.2 mm, shorter than to equaling 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.

not seen, lack of dehiscence line in the ovary indicates they are 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.

not seen.

Cuscuta indecora

Cuscuta draconella

Phenology Flowering Aug–Sep.
Habitat Hosts: Atriplex, Gutierrezia, Thelesperma.
Elevation 1600 m. (5200 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
North America; Mexico; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM; TX
[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.)

Some plants of Cuscuta draconella from Texas were formerly treated as C. decipiens Yuncker, which is known only from Zacatecas, Mexico.

(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. 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. 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) Costea & Stefanović: Syst. Bot. 34: 577, figs. 1B–I, 4A–C. (2009)
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