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

Warner's dodder

Stems

yellow to orange, slender to medium.

yellow, filiform.

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 corymbiform;

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

Pedicels

0.5–6 mm, usually papillate.

0.5–1 mm, 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, 2.1–4 mm, slightly fleshy, perianth cells convex, domelike, papillate on corolla, ovary, and capsule;

calyx brownish yellow, campanulate-cupulate, 1/2 corolla tube length, divided 1/2 its length, not reticulate, not shiny, lobes triangular-ovate, bases not overlapping, margins entire, midvein carinate, sometimes with multicellular projections, apex enlarged, each with a hornlike appendage 0.5–0.7 mm;

corolla creamy white, drying brownish, 1.8–3.5 mm, tube campanulate-urceolate, 1.5–2.5 mm, not saccate, lobes erect, connivent, triangular-ovate, 1/4–1/3 corolla tube length, margins entire, apex acute, inflexed;

infrastaminal scales relatively poorly developed, oblong, 1.3–1.2 mm, 4/5 corolla tube length, bridged at 0.2–0.3 mm, truncate, irregularly dentate or short-fimbriate distally, fimbriae 0.05–0.1 mm;

stamens included, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.4–0.5 mm;

anthers 0.4–0.7 × 0.3–0.5 mm;

styles filiform, 0.2–0.4 mm, shorter 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, 1.8–2.5 × 1.9–3 mm, thickened and raised in collar around style base, translucent, 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.

3 or 4, shape heterogeneous on same plant: obcompressed to weakly angled, broadly ellipsoid to transversely oblique, 1.3–1.6 × 1.2–1.4 mm, hilum region subterminal.

Cuscuta indecora

Cuscuta warneri

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Hosts: known only from Phyla cuneata and P. incisa.
Elevation 1500–1700 m. [4900–5600 ft.]
Distribution
from USDA
North America; Mexico; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM; UT
[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.)

Cuscuta warneri is currently considered possibly extinct in Utah by NatureServe (http://explorer.natureserve.org); it was rediscovered in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, in 2008.

(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. umbrosa
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) Yuncker: Brittonia 12: 38, fig. 1. (1960)
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