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mountain dodder

large-flower flat-globe dodder

Stems

yellow, slender.

yellow-orange, slender.

Inflorescences

loose, umbelliform;

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

dense to loose, umbelliform;

bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedicels 0 or 1, broadly triangular-ovate, membranous, finely reticulate, slightly shiny, margins entire, apex acuminate.

Pedicels

0–2 mm.

2–10 mm.

Flowers

4- or 5-merous, 2.8–3.3 mm, membranous, not papillate;

calyx slightly zygomorphic, creamy yellow, broadly campanulate, 1-1/3–1-1/2 corolla tube length, divided 1/2–3/5 its length, not reticulate or shiny, lobes ovate, bases not overlapping, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex long-attenuate;

corolla white, drying creamy yellow, 2.6–3 mm, tube campanulate, 1.2–1.5 mm, not saccate, lobes suberect, triangular-ovate, longer than corolla tube length, margins entire, apex lance-attenuate, straight;

infrastaminal scales relatively poorly developed, oblong, 0.6–1 mm, 1/2–3/4 corolla tube length, bridged at 0.2–0.3 mm, usually reduced to denticulate wings, rarely 2-fid with 1–3 fimbriae on each side of filament attachments, 0.1–0.2 mm;

stamens included or barely visible through corolla sinuses, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.2–0.5 mm;

anthers 0.2–0.4 × 0.2–0.3 mm;

styles terete to slightly subulate, 0.3–0.7 mm, 1/4 ovary length.

5-merous, 4–5.5(–6) mm, membranous, not papillate;

calyx straw yellow, campanulate, 2.5–3.2 mm, longer than corolla tube length, divided 2/3 its length, finely reticulate, slightly shiny, lobes ovate-lanceolate, bases not overlapping, margins entire, midvein not carinate, without multicellular protuberances, apex acuminate;

corolla white, drying creamy white, 3.8–5.2(–5.6) mm, tube campanulate, 1.6–2.1 mm, not saccate, lobes reflexed, linear-lanceolate, longer than corolla tube length, margins entire, apex acuminate, straight;

infrastaminal scales spatulate to obovate, 1.8–2.2 mm, equaling or slightly longer than corolla tube length, bridged at 0.2–0.4 mm, rounded, uniformly densely fimbriate, fimbriae 0.2–0.5 mm;

stamens exserted, shorter than corolla lobes;

filaments 0.6–1 mm;

anthers 0.5–0.7 × 0.2–0.3 mm;

styles filiform, 0.9–2.5 mm, longer than ovary.

Capsules

ellipsoid-ovoid, ovoid-conic, or globose to depressed-globose, 2–3.2 × 2–3.6 mm, not thickened or raised around relatively small interstylar aperture, translucent, proximal 1/2 surrounded by withered corolla, indehiscent.

depressed-globose, 2–3 × 1–2 mm, irregularly thickened and slightly raised around inconspicuous interstylar aperture, translucent, surrounded or capped by withered corolla, dehiscence circumscissile.

Seeds

2–4, obcompressed, subglobose, 0.8–1.1 × 0.8–1 mm, hilum subterminal.

2–4, broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 0.9–1.2 × 0.8–0.9 mm, hilum subterminal.

Cuscuta suksdorfii

Cuscuta legitima

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering Aug–Nov.
Habitat mountain meadows. Hosts: Allionia, Amaranthus, Boerhavia, Chamaesaracha, Evolvulus, Kallstroemia, Salsola, Solanum, Tidestromia, Trianthema, Tribulus.
Elevation 1500–2600 m. (4900–8500 ft.) 40–1200 m. (100–3900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora, Tamaulipas)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cuscuta legitima is a hybrid species closely allied with C. umbellata, from which it differs in larger flowers and acuminate calyx lobes.

(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. salina, C. squamata, C. suaveolens, C. subinclusa, 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. 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. salina var. acuminata, C. suksdorfii var. subpedicellata
Name authority Yuncker: Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 18: 167. (1932) Costea & Stefanović: Taxon 59: 1795, fig. 5A–D. (2010)
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