The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

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

big-fruit dodder

Stems

yellow to orange, slender to medium.

yellow to orange, 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.

dense, paniculiform;

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

Pedicels

0.5–6 mm, usually papillate.

0.9–7 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, 2–3.5(–4.4) mm, membranous, not papillate;

calyx brownish, campanulate, to 1/2 corolla tube length, divided 1/2–2/3 its length, not reticulate or shiny, lobes ovate, bases overlapping, margins entire or serrulate, midvein not carinate, apex obtuse to rounded;

corolla creamy white, drying creamy brownish, 2–4 mm, tube campanulate, 1.7–2.3(–2.7) mm, not saccate, lobes spreading to reflexed, ovate to broadly triangular-ovate, 1/4–1/3 corolla tube length, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse, straight;

infrastaminal scales broadly oblong, 1.2–2 mm, (1/3–)1/2 corolla tube length, bridged at 0.5–1 mm, ± truncate to 2-lobed apically, fimbriate mostly in distal 1/2, fimbriae 0.2–0.6 mm;

stamens exserted, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.4–0.7 mm;

anthers 0.3–0.6 × 0.2–0.4 mm;

styles slender, 0.3–0.9 mm, 1/4 ovary length, slightly thickened at base.

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 globose-conic or subobpyriform, 3.5–6.5(–7) × 3–5(–6) mm, raised and thickened around relatively small interstylar aperture, apex rarely narrowed into neck to 1 mm, not translucent, surrounding capsule 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.

3 or 4, obcompressed to obscurely angled, broadly ellipsoid to obovoid, 1.8–2.5(–2.8) × 1.5–1.6 mm, hilum region subterminal.

Cuscuta indecora

Cuscuta umbrosa

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat Hosts: Ampelopsis, Clematis, Convolvulus, Epilobium, Humulus, Impatiens, Lactuca, Linum, Salix, Scutellaria, Solidago, Symphoricarpos, Urtica, and others.
Elevation 50–2100 m. (200–6900 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
North America; Mexico; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; IA; ID; IL; KS; MN; MT; ND; NE; NM; SD; UT; WI; WY; AB; MB; ON; SK
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.)

Navajo Indians of the southwestern United States added seeds of Cuscuta umbrosa to soups or stews (E. F. Castetter 1935).

(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. 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. warneri
Subordinate taxa
C. indecora var. attenuata, C. indecora var. indecora, C. indecora var. longisepala
Synonyms C. curta, C. megalocarpa
Name authority Choisy: Mém. Soc. Phys. Genève 9: 278, plate 3, fig. 3. (1842) Beyrich ex Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 78. (1837)
Web links