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

common dodder, cuscute de gronovius, love dodder, scaldweed

Stems

yellow to orange, slender to medium.

yellow to orange, medium to coarse.

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.

loose or dense, paniculiform, sometimes originating endogenously;

bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedicels 0 or 1, rarely 1 or 2(or 3) on pedicels, ovate to broadly triangular, membranous, margins entire or serrulate, apex acute to obtuse.

Pedicels

0.5–6 mm, usually papillate.

1–4.5 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.

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

calyx yellow-brown, cupulate or campanulate to narrowly campanulate, 1/2 to equaling corolla tube length, divided 1/2–2/3 its length, not reticulate or shiny, lobes ovate to suborbiculate or oblong, bases barely to notably overlapping, margins entire to serrulate, midvein not carinate, apex rounded or obtuse;

corolla white fresh or dry, 1.8–4 mm, tube broadly to narrowly campanulate, 1–2.5(–3) mm, not saccate, lobes spreading to reflexed, mostly ovate, (1/4–)1/3 or 1/2 to equaling corolla tube length, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse, straight;

infrastaminal scales oblong, 1–2.5 mm, equaling corolla tube length, bridged at 0.4–0.8 mm, sparsely fimbriate, fimbriae 0.4–0.8 mm;

stamens exserted, shorter than to equaling corolla lobes;

filaments 0.4–0.7(–1) mm;

anthers 0.3–0.6 × 0.3–0.4 mm;

styles usually filiform, sometimes slightly subulate, (0.6–)1.2–2.2 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.

ovoid to conic-globose or subobpyriform, 2.5–4.5(–5.2) × 2–4(–5) mm, raised and ± thickened around relatively small to moderately large interstylar aperture, rarely apically narrowed into neck to 1 mm, not translucent, loosely 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.

2–4, obcompressed to obscurely angled, subglobose to broadly ovoid, 1.3–1.7(–2.2) × 1.2–1.6 mm, hilum region subterminal.

Cuscuta indecora

Cuscuta gronovii

Distribution
from USDA
North America; Mexico; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
North America; West Indies [Introduced in Europe]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

(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. Calyces equaling corolla tube length, lobes oblong to ovate, bases barely overlapping; corolla tube broadly campanulate, 1–1.5 mm, lobes 1/2 to equaling tube length.
var. latiflora
1. Calyces 1/2 corolla tube length, lobes ovate to suborbiculate, bases overlapping; corolla tube campanulate to narrowly campanulate, 1.5–2.5(–3) mm, lobes (1/4–)1/3 tube length.
→ 2
2. Corolla tube campanulate, 1.5–2.5 mm; cap­sules loosely surrounded by withered corolla.
var. gronovii
2. Corolla tube narrowly campanulate, 2–2.5(–3) mm; capsules capped by withered corolla.
var. calyptrata
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. draconella, C. epilinum, C. epithymum, C. erosa, C. europaea, C. exaltata, C. glabrior, C. glomerata, 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
C. gronovii var. calyptrata, C. gronovii var. gronovii, C. gronovii var. latiflora
Name authority Choisy: Mém. Soc. Phys. Genève 9: 278, plate 3, fig. 3. (1842) Willdenow in J. J. Roemer et al.: Syst. Veg. 6: 205. (1820)
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