Cuscuta coryli
Amer. J. Sci. Arts 43: 337, plate 6, figs. 7–11. 1842.
Stems yellow to orange, medium to slender. Inflorescences dense, paniculiform or glomerulate, sometimes originating endogenously; bracts at bases of clusters 1, at base of pedicels 0 or 1, ovate to lanceolate, membranous, margins entire, apex acute. Pedicels 0.5–3 mm. Flowers (3 or)4 or 5-merous, 1.7–2.6(–3) mm, fleshy; usually not papillate, perianth cells convex, domelike; calyx brownish, cupulate, usually equaling or longer than, rarely shorter than, corolla tube length, divided 1/2–2/3 its length, not reticulate or shiny, lobes triangular-ovate, bases not or slightly overlapping, margins entire, midvein ± carinate, apex acute; corolla white, usually drying dark brown, 1.5–2.5 mm, tube campanulate to suburceolate, 0.5–1.5 mm, not saccate, lobes suberect to erect, triangular-ovate, 1/3 to equaling corolla tube length, margins entire, apex acute, inflexed; infrastaminal scales relatively poorly developed, oblong, 0.7–1.5 mm, equaling or exceeding corolla tube length, bridged at 0.3–0.5 mm, 2-fid with 1–3 fimbriae on each side of filament attachment or with denticulate wings, fimbriae 0.3–0.5 mm; stamens included, shorter than corolla lobes; filaments 0.3–0.6 mm; anthers 0.2–0.4 × 0.1–0.2 mm; styles filiform, 0.7–1.8 mm, usually equaling, sometimes longer than, ovary. Capsules globose, ovoid, or depressed, 1.8–2.5 × 3.5–5 mm, ± thickened, not raised, around relatively large interstylar aperture, not translucent, capped or not by withered corolla, indehiscent. Seeds 3 or 4, heterogeneous on same plant: obcompressed to weakly angled, broadly ellipsoid, or transversely oblique, 1.3–1.6 × 1.2–1.4 mm, hilum region usually subterminal, rarely almost terminal. 2n = 30.
Phenology: Flowering Aug–Nov.
Habitat: woods, meadows, margins of wetlands.
Elevation: 50–1200 m.
Distribution
Man., Ont., Que., Sask., Ala., Ariz., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va., Wis.
Discussion
Cuscuta coryli is closely related to C. indecora, from which it differs by often relatively small, four-merous flowers, bifid infrastaminal scales with one to three fimbriae on each side of filament attachment or with denticulate wings, and depressed capsules (M. Costea et al. 2006).
Selected References
None.