Cusp dodder
Cuscuta cuspidata Engelm.
Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- White to pale yellow, twining
- Leaves
- Alternate, reduced to scales; appears leafless.
- Inflorescence
- Cymose clusters, loose, appearing along stem, rarely obscuring stems.
- Flower
- Pedicels absent or nearly so. Sepals 5, closely subtended by 1-2 imbricate bracts resembling sepals in size and texture, 1/10 to 1/8 inch, smooth or slightly granular; sepals distinct, calyx shorter than corolla tube, sepals lanceolate to ovate or nearly round, apex acute, appressed; corolla white, bell-shaped, lobes spreading, apex acute, straight.
- Fruit
- Capsules, spherical, capped by the persistent corolla, opening irregularly; seeds 4.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Roadsides, floodplains, prairies, frequently in sandy habitats.
- Distribution
- Throughout Kansas
Additional Notes
Comments
Plants glabrous; parasitic, without chlorophyll. The most frequent hosts of cusp dodder are members of Asteraceae. Dodders are difficult to identify, usually requiring flowers and mature fruits for accurate identification. For additional information see description of Cuscuta pentagona. Twelve dodder species are known in Kansas.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Convolvulaceae - Morning Glory Family
- Life Span
- Annual
- Height
- Trailing or climbing on host plant
- Origin
- Native
- Last Updated
- 2024-10-22
Color Groups
White, Green & Greenish White Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: August, September