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

compact dodder

Stems

orange-yellow, slender.

yellow-orange, coarse.

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.

dense to loose, glomerulate, often originating endogenously;

bracts at base of clusters, pedicels, and/or flowers 2–4(–6), ovate-orbiculate, fleshy, margins scarious, finely denticulate-fimbriate, apex erect, obtuse.

Pedicels

(0.5–)1–5 mm.

0–1 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, 4–6 mm, fleshy, not papillate;

calyx brown-yellow, cylindro-campanulate, 3/4 corolla tube length, divided to base or nearly so, finely reticulate, shiny, lobes orbiculate, bases broadly overlapping, margins scarious, minutely denticulate-fimbriate, midvein not carinate, apex rounded;

corolla white to creamy greenish, drying creamy brown, 3.8–4.5 mm, tube cylindric, 3–4 mm, not saccate, lobes spreading to reflexed, ovate, 1/3–1/4 corolla tube length, margins entire, apex obtuse, straight;

infrastaminal scales oblong to obovate, 2.6–3.3 mm, 3/4 to equaling corolla tube length, bridged at 0.9–1.3 mm, usually densely fimbriate in distal 1/2–3/4, sometimes reduced, 2-fid with 1–3 fimbriae on each side of filament insertion or dentate-winged, fimbriae 0.4–0.8 mm;

stamens exserted, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.2–0.3 mm;

anthers 0.3–0.4 × 0.3–0.4 mm;

styles filiform, 1–2 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.

conic-globose to broadly ellipsoid, 3–5(–6) × 2–2.5 mm, thickened and slightly umbonate around relatively small interstylar aperture, not translucent, capped by withered corolla, indehiscent.

Seeds

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

1–4, obcompressed, broadly ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, 1.9–2.5 × 1.7–2.3 mm, hilum region subterminal.

2n

= 30.

= 30.

Cuscuta salina

Cuscuta compacta

Phenology Flowering Mar–Nov. Flowering late Jul–Nov.
Habitat Hosts: Atriplex, Centromadia, Cressa, Frankenia, Jaumea, Plantago, Salicornia, Sal­sola, Suaeda, Trichostema, Wislizenia. wetland margins, wet woodlands.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) 30–300 m. (100–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cuscuta compacta var. efimbriata was treated as a synonym of C. compacta by D. F. Austin (1980). Yuncker recognized its presence in Florida (the type collection) and Arkansas; these plants apparently are populational variants, distinguished by infrastaminal scales shorter than the corolla tube, much reduced in size, bifid or winged, and reduced in marginal fimbriae.

(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. americana, C. approximata, C. azteca, C. boldinghii, C. brachycalyx, C. californica, C. campestris, C. cephalanthi, C. chinensis, 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
Synonyms C. compacta var. efimbriata
Name authority Engelmann in W. H. Brewer et al.: Bot. California 1: 536. (1876) Jussieu ex Choisy: Mém. Soc. Phys. Genève 9: 281, plate 4, fig. 2. (1842)
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