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

Boggs Lake dodder

Stems

orange-yellow, slender.

yellow to orange, slender.

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, 3–30-flowered, flowers sessile or subsessile, embedded in inflorescence of host;

bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedicels and/or flowers 0 or 1, lanceolate, membranous, margins entire, apex acute.

Pedicels

(0.5–)1–5 mm.

0–0.6 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.

4(or 5)-merous, 3–4 mm, membranous, calyx and corolla papillate;

calyx straw yellow, campanulate, equaling or longer than corolla tube length, divided 1/2–2/3 its length, finely reticulate, shiny, lobes triangular-ovate, bases not overlapping, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex acuminate to long-attenuate, recurved;

corolla drying white or creamy white to brownish, 2.8–3.5 mm, tube cylindric-campanulate to urceolate, 1.5–2 mm, not saccate, lobes suberect to spreading, triangular-ovate, equaling corolla tube length, margins entire, apex acute to long-attenuate, recurved;

infrastaminal scales oblong-ovate, 1–1.3 mm, 1/2–2/3 corolla tube length, bridged at 0.2–0.3 mm, rounded, uniformly densely fimbriate, fimbriae 0.1–0.3 mm;

stamens included, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.1–0.3 mm;

anthers 0.4–0.5 × 0.3–0.4 mm;

styles filiform, 0.4–1.1 mm, 1/4 to ± equaling 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 to depressed-globose, 1.2–1.5 × 0.8–1.2 mm, not thickened or raised around relatively small interstylar aperture, not translucent, completely enclosed or 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 to slightly angled, subglobose to broadly ellipsoid, 0.9–1.2 × 0.8–1.1 mm, hilum region subterminal.

2n

= 30.

Cuscuta salina

Cuscuta howelliana

Phenology Flowering Mar–Nov. Flowering Aug–Sep.
Habitat Hosts: Atriplex, Centromadia, Cressa, Frankenia, Jaumea, Plantago, Salicornia, Sal­sola, Suaeda, Trichostema, Wislizenia. vernal pools.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) 30–1000 m. (100–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Inflorescences of Cuscuta howelliana develop inside inflorescences of Epilobium densiflorum, Eryngium, and Navarretia; the flowers apparently synchronize their anthesis with that of the host’s flowers and achieve both protection from the host and access to the pollinators of the host. When it parasitizes Diplacus and Downingia, the parasite flowers but does not produce seeds.

(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. 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. 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) P. Rubtzov: Leafl. W. Bot. 10: 335. (1966)
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