Cuscuta glomerata

Stems orange, medium. Inflorescences extremely dense, continuous (cymes indiscernible), ropelike, spiraling around and closely appressed to host stem, flowers sessile, commonly originating endogenously; bracts at base of clusters, pedicels, and/or flowers 4–11, narrowly triangular to lanceolate, folded-concave, membranous, margins serrate or lacerate, apex acute, recurved. Pedicels absent. Flowers 5-merous, 5–6 mm, membranous, not papillate; calyx stramineous yellow, campanulate-turbinate, equaling corolla tube length, divided to base or nearly so, reticulate, shiny, lobes narrowly triangular to lanceolate, bases overlapping, margins serrate to irregular, midvein not carinate, apex obtuse to acute; corolla white, drying stramineous yellow or brownish, 4.5–5.4 mm, tube cylindric, 3.6–4.4 mm, not saccate, lobes spreading to reflexed, oblong-lanceolate, 1/5–1/4 corolla tube length, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse, straight; infrastaminal scales oblong, 2.5–3 mm, 3/4 corolla tube length, bridged at 1.3–1.7 mm, rounded, ± uniformly fimbriate, fimbriae 0.3–0.5 mm; stamens exserted, shorter than corolla lobes; filaments 0.5–0.7 mm; anthers 0.6–0.8 × 0.3–0.4 mm; styles filiform, 2–3 mm, longer than ovary. Capsules globose to flask-shaped, 3.5–6 × 2–3.5 mm, thickened and raised in collar around style bases, not translucent, capped by withered corolla, indehiscent. Seeds 1 or 2, slightly obcompressed, subglobose, or ovoid, 1.4–1.7 × 1.2–1.6 mm, hilum region terminal. 2n = 30.

Phenology: Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat: Hosts: Ambrosia, Asclepias, Helenium, Helianthus, Liatris, Silphium, Solidago, Symphyotrichum, Vernonia, and others.
Elevation: 100–1000 m.

Ark., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Wis.

Discussion

Inflorescences in ropelike spirals and capsules with necklike collars provide instant recognition for Cuscuta glomerata.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa