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

Santa Rita Mountain dodder

Stems

orange-yellow, slender.

yellowish, 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, paniculiform-glomerulate;

bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedicels and/or flowers 0 or 1, subround to broadly ovate, membranous, margins entire, apex acute to short-acuminate, papillate.

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, 4.5–5 mm, membranous, calyx and corolla lobes papillate;

calyx straw yellow, campanulate, 1/2–3/4 corolla tube length, divided 2/3 its length, finely reticulate, not shiny, lobes ovate-triangular, bases overlapping, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex acute to short-acuminate;

corolla white, drying creamy white, 3.5–4.5 mm, tube cylindric, 2.2–2.8 mm, not saccate, lobes reflexed, ovate-triangular, shorter than to equaling corolla tube length, margins entire, apex acute to short-acuminate, straight;

infrastaminal scales oblong-spatulate to obovate, 2–2.5 mm, 1/2 to equaling corolla tube length, bridged at 0.2–0.5 mm, rounded, densely fimbriate in distal 1/2, fimbriae 0.2–0.3 mm;

stamens barely exserted, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.3–0.7 mm;

anthers 0.7–1.1 × 0.2–3 mm;

styles filiform, 2.8–4 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 to depressed-globose, 2.9–4 × 3–3.2 mm, thickened and raised around inconspicuous interstylar aperture, translucent, loosely surrounded and 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.

3 or 4, angled, broadly ellipsoid, 1–1.2 × 0.6–0.8 mm, hilum region terminal.

2n

= 30.

Cuscuta salina

Cuscuta odontolepis

Phenology Flowering Mar–Nov. Flowering Aug–Oct.
Habitat Hosts: Atriplex, Centromadia, Cressa, Frankenia, Jaumea, Plantago, Salicornia, Sal­sola, Suaeda, Trichostema, Wislizenia. Hosts: Amaranthus.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) 900–1500 m. (3000–4900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cuscuta odontolepis 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. 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. 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: Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 1: 486. (1859)
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