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goldenthread, inland salt-marsh dodder, salt dodder, saltmarsh dodder

American dodder

Stems

orange-yellow, slender.

yellow-orange, medium.

Inflorescences

loose to dense, corymbiform;

bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedicels 0 or 1, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, membranous, margins entire, apex acute.

glomerulate or densely paniculiform;

bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedicels 0 or 1, ovate to lanceolate, ± fleshy, margins entire, apex acute.

Pedicels

(0.5–)1–5 mm.

0.2–0.6 mm.

Flowers

5-merous, 2.5–4.5 mm, membranous, not papillate or corolla lobes papillate;

calyx yellow, cylindric to narrowly campanulate, equaling corolla tube length, divided 1/2 its length, not reticulate, ± glossy, lobes lance-ovate to lanceolate, bases not overlapping, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex acute to acuminate;

corolla white, drying creamy white, 2.2–4 mm, tube cylindric-campanulate to obconic, 1.2–2 mm, not saccate, lobes spreading to reflexed, lance-oblong to lance-ovate, equaling corolla tube length, margins entire or irregular, apex acute to acuminate or cuspidate, sometimes appearing tridentate, straight;

infrastaminal scales oblong to obovate, 1–1.7 mm, 4/5 corolla tube length, bridged at 0.2–0.4 mm, rounded, uniformly densely fimbriate, fimbriae 0.1–0.3 mm;

stamens exserted at full anthesis, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.3–0.7 mm;

anthers 0.3–0.7 × 0.2–0.5 mm;

styles uniformly filiform, 0.4–0.9 mm, shorter than ovary.

5-merous, 2.5–4.2 mm, fleshy, not papillate;

calyx brownish, cylindric, equaling or slightly shorter than corolla tube length, divided 1/4 its length, not reticulate or shiny, lobes broadly ovate, bases overlapping, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex rounded to obtuse;

corolla white, drying brown, 2–3.3 mm, tube cylindric, 1.7–2.5 mm, not saccate, lobes usually erect, sometimes spreading, ovate, 1/5–1/4 corolla tube length, margins entire, apex obtuse, ± cucullate, or straight;

infrastaminal scales ovate to oblong, 1.4–2 mm, 3/4–4/5 corolla tube length, bridged at 0.6–1 mm, truncate to rounded, uniformly short-fimbriate, fimbriae 0.1–0.2 mm;

stamens included, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.1–0.3 mm;

anthers 0.2–0.4 × 0.2–0.4 mm;

styles filiform, 1.5–2.2 mm, longer than ovary.

Capsules

ellipsoid-ovoid, 1.6–2.5 × 1.7–2.4 mm, thickened and raised around relatively small interstylar aperture, not translucent, surrounded or capped by withered corolla, indehiscent.

globose-ovoid to ovoid, 1.8–3 × 0.8–2 mm, not thickened or raised around relatively small interstylar aperture, not translucent, capped by withered corolla, dehiscence circumscissile.

Seeds

1, ± obcompressed, broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 1.3–1.5 × 1.2–1.4 mm, hilum region subterminal.

1, subglobose to ellipsoid, 1.4–1.5 × 1–1.1 mm, hilum region terminal.

2n

= 30.

Cuscuta salina

Cuscuta americana

Phenology Flowering Mar–Nov. Flowering Sep–Mar.
Habitat Hosts: Atriplex, Centromadia, Cressa, Frankenia, Jaumea, Plantago, Salicornia, Sal­sola, Suaeda, Trichostema, Wislizenia. Hosts: Bursera, Celtis, Citha­rexylum, Colubrina, Coursetia, Haematoxylum, Haplo­phyton, Havardia, Janusia, Jatropha, Karwinskia, Mimosa, Prosopis, Sebastiania, Senna, Vallesia, and other herbs and woody plants.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) 0–40 m. (0–100 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In Florida, Cuscuta americana may attack Citrus trees.

Cuscuta americana was used by the Aztecs to produce a yellow dye called zacatlaxcalli (B. de Sahagún 1950–1982).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

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. 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. squamata, C. suaveolens, C. subinclusa, C. suksdorfii, C. tuberculata, C. umbellata, C. umbrosa, C. warneri
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, C. warneri
Name authority Engelmann in W. H. Brewer et al.: Bot. California 1: 536. (1876) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 124. (1753)
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