Cuscuta cassytoides

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Common Names

Description

Genus Cuscuta

Herbs parasitic, yellow or reddish, glabrous . Stems twining , filiform , obtaining nourishment from hosts by haustoria. Leaves reduced to minute scales . Flowers sessile or short pedicellate , mostly in globular, spicate , racemose, or cymose clusters , 4- or 5-merous; bracts minute or absent. Calyx gamosepalous , ± deeply lobed , or sepals free . Corolla white, pinkish, or cream colored , urceolate , tubular , globose or campanulate , inside with fimbriate or crenulate , membranous, infrastaminal scales at base of tube . Stamens as many as corolla lobes , inserted on corolla above scales, alternating with corolla lobes. Pollen smooth . Ovary 2-loculed; ovules 2 per locule. Styles 1 or 2; stigmas 2, subglobose or elongated, sometimes united . Capsule ovoid or globose, dry or sometimes fleshy , circumscissile or opening irregularly. Seeds 1-4, glabrous; embryo acotyledonous , filiform spiral-curved.

About 170 species: mainly in North and South America, several in Asia and Europe; 11 species in China.

Cuscuta is placed by some in a separate family , Cuscutaceae Dumortier.[1]

Physical Description

Biology

Reproduction

Duration: Annual

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Monogynella Cassytoides

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication : Trans. Acad. Sci. St . Louis 1:513. 1859

Name verified on 20-Oct-2004 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 01-Nov-2004

Similar Species

Members of the genus Cuscuta

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 476 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

C. abyssinica · C. acaulis · C. acuminata · C. acuta (Dodder) · C. acutiflora · C. acutiloba · C. acutissima · C. aegyptiaca · C. africana · C. aggregata · C. alata · C. alataloba · C. alatiloba · C. alba · C. alpestris · C. alpicola · C. alpina · C. americana (American Dodder) · C. americana var. congesta · C. americana var. spectabilis · C. andina · C. anguina · C. angulata · C. anthemi · C. aphylla · C. appendiculata · C. applanata (Gila River Dodder) · C. approsimata · C. approximata (Smooth-Seed Alfalfa Dodder) · C. approximata urceolata · C. approximata var. approximata (Alfalfa Dodder) · C. aproximata · C. arabica · C. aragonensis · C. araratica · C. arborea · C. argentinana · C. aristeguietae · C. arvensis · C. arvensis var. calycina · C. arvensis var. pentagona · C. asiatica · C. astyla · C. atlantica · C. atrans · C. attenuata (Tapertip Dodder) · C. aurantiaca · C. aurea · C. australis · C. australis var. reducta · C. babylonica · C. balansae · C. barbuvea · C. bella · C. bicolor · C. bidentis · C. bifurcata · C. blepharolepis · C. boissieri · C. boldinghii (Boldingh's Dodder) · C. boliviana · C. bonariensis · C. brachycalyx (San Joaquin Dodder) · C. brachycalyx var. apodanthera (San Joaquin Dodder) · C. brachycalyx var. brachycalyx (San Joaquin Dodder) · C. brachystyla · C. bracteata · C. bracteosa · C. breviflora · C. brevisquamata · C. brevistyla · C. bucharica · C. burmannii · C. burrellii · C. californica (California Dodder) · C. californica apiculata · C. californica apodanthera · C. californica brachycalyx · C. californica Hook. & Arn. var. breviflora Engelm. · C. californica papillosa · C. californica squamigera · C. californica var. apiculata (Chaparral Dodder) · C. californica var. apodanthera · C. californica var. brachycalyx · C. californica var. breviflora (California Dodder) · C. californica var. californica (California Dodder) · C. californica var. papillosa (Chaparral Dodder) · C. californica var. reflexa · C. californica var. squamigera · C. callfornica · C. callinema · C. calliopes · C. callosa · C. calycina · C. calyptrata · C. campanulata · C. campestris · C. canariensis · C. candicans · C. capensis

More Info

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Further Reading

• Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62. (Pl SAfr)
• Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1967–. Flore de la Nouvelle Caledonie et dependances. (F NCaled)
• Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960–. Flora zambesiaca. (F Zamb)
• Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952–. Flora of tropical East Africa. (F TE Afr)
• Liao, G.-I., C.-S. Kuoh & M.-Y. Chen. 2005. Morphological observation on floral variations of the genus Cuscuta in Taiwan. Taiwania 50: 123-130. 2005.

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed December 01, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 27, 2008)

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal December 01, 2007:

• USDA PLANTS, USDA PLANTS Database

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2653767
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-30722
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13745206
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:267351-1
• GRIN Nomen Number: 447243
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 30722
• International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 267351-1
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: CUCA5
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 33583

Footnotes

1. Fang Rhui-cheng, Lytton J. Musselman, Uzi Plitmann "Cuscuta". in Flora of China Vol. 16 Page 322. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

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