Cuscuta indecora |
Cuscuta subinclusa |
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big seed alfalfa dodder, collared dodder, inelegant dodder, large-seed dodder |
canyon dodder |
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Stems | yellow to orange, slender to medium. |
yellow to orange, medium. |
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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; bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedicels and/or flowers 0 or 1, lanceolate to ovate, membranous, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate. |
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Pedicels | 0.5–6 mm, usually papillate. |
0–1 mm. |
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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, 5–7(–9 mm), membranous, papillate on corolla lobes; calyx usually straw yellow, sometimes brown, campanulate, 1/2 corolla tube length, divided 3/5–2/3 its length, finely reticulate, shiny, lobes broadly ovate to lanceolate, bases overlapping, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex acute, sometimes cuspidate; corolla white, drying creamy yellow or brownish, 4.5–6.6 mm, tube cylindric, 2.5–3.5(–4.5) mm, not saccate, usually with horizontal ridges between stamen attachments, lobes spreading to reflexed, ovate-triangular, 1/4–1/3 corolla tube length, margins entire, apex acute, often slightly acuminate, straight; infrastaminal scales oblong to spatulate, 1.5–2.2 mm, 1/2–2/3 corolla tube length, bridged at 0.3–0.7 mm, rounded, uniformly densely to sparsely fimbriate, fimbriae 0.2–0.4 mm; stamens slightly exserted, shorter than corolla lobes; filaments 0–0.1 mm; anthers 0.8–2 × 0.4–0.5 mm; styles 1–1.5 mm, equaling ovary. |
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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 ellipsoid, 1.5–3 × 1.2–2.5 mm, narrowed and thickened, forming collar around relatively small interstylar aperture, not translucent, capped by withered corolla, indehiscent. |
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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, usually subglobose to broadly ovoid, rarely slightly obcompressed, 1.3–1.7 × 1.2–1.5 mm, hilum region terminal. |
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Cuscuta indecora |
Cuscuta subinclusa |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Oct. | |||||||||
Habitat | forests near streams, canyon bottoms, wetlands, salt marshes. | |||||||||
Elevation | 0–2000 m. (0–6600 ft.) | |||||||||
Distribution |
North America; Mexico; South America; West Indies
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CA; Mexico (Baja California)
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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.) |
The name Cuscuta ceanothi Behr may pertain here. The type specimen of C. ceanothi was evidently destroyed, and the protologue is not sufficient to fix application of C. ceanothi to any one species of Cuscuta. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 14. | FNA vol. 14. | ||||||||
Parent taxa | Convolvulaceae > Cuscuta > subg. Grammica | Convolvulaceae > Cuscuta > subg. Grammica | ||||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||
Name authority | Choisy: Mém. Soc. Phys. Genève 9: 278, plate 3, fig. 3. (1842) | Durand & Hilgard: Pl. Heermann., 42. (1854) | ||||||||
Web links |