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

desert dodder, small-tooth dodder

Stems

orange-yellow, slender.

light yellow, filiform.

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, glomerulate;

bracts at base of clusters, pedicels, and/or flowers 1–3, subround, ovate, or rhombic to ovate-lanceolate, membranous, margins entire or denticulate, apex acute to obtuse.

Pedicels

(0.5–)1–5 mm.

(0–)0.5–2.2 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.

(4 or)5-merous, 2–3 mm, membranous, not papillate;

calyx straw yellow, campanulate to urceolate, equaling corolla tube length or nearly so, divided 2/3 its length, reticulate and shiny, lobes obovate-orbiculate, bases overlapping, margins denticulate, midvein not carinate, apex rounded;

corolla white, drying straw yellow, 1.6–2.6 mm, tube campanulate, 0.6–1.5 mm, not saccate, lobes reflexed, ovate to broadly elliptic, equaling corolla tube length, margins irregularly denticulate, apex rounded, straight;

infrastaminal scales ovate to oblong, 0.6–1.4 mm, equaling corolla tube length, bridged at 0.4–0.6 mm, rounded to truncate, uniformly denticulate or short-fimbriate, fimbriae 0.05–0.1 mm;

stamens included to slightly exserted, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.2–0.4 mm;

anthers 0.2–0.4 × 0.3–0.3 mm;

styles filiform, 0.3–0.5 mm, shorter 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, 1.3–2.1 × 1–2 mm, not thickened or raised around inconspicuous interstylar aperture, 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, not angled or obcompressed or globose to globose-ovoid, 0.8–1.1 × 0.8–1.1 mm, hilum region terminal;

embryo enlarged-globose at base.

2n

= 30.

= 30.

Cuscuta salina

Cuscuta denticulata

Phenology Flowering Mar–Nov. Flowering Mar–Oct(–Dec).
Habitat Hosts: Atriplex, Centromadia, Cressa, Frankenia, Jaumea, Plantago, Salicornia, Sal­sola, Suaeda, Trichostema, Wislizenia. also Ambrosia, Artemisia, Atriplex, Bebbia, Coleogyne, Covillea, Ericameria, Eriogonum, Euphorbia, Gutierrezia, Lepidospartum, Lycium, Psorothamnus, and other desert plants.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) 200–2000 m. (700–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; NV; UT; WA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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. compacta, C. coryli, C. cuspidata, C. dentatasquamata, 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) Engelmann: Amer. Naturalist 9: 348. (1875)
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