Cuscuta salina

Illustrator: Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Stems orange-yellow, slender. Inflorescences loose to dense, corymbiform; bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedicels 0 or 1, ovate-lanceolate to lance­olate, membranous, margins entire, apex acute. Pedicels (0.5–)1–5 mm. Flowers 5-merous, 2.5–4.5 mm, membranous, not papillate or corolla lobes papillate; calyx yellow, cylindric to narrowly campanulate, equaling corolla tube length, divided 1/2 its length, not reticulate, ± glossy, lobes lance-ovate to lanceolate, bases not overlapping, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex acute to acuminate; corolla white, drying creamy white, 2.2–4 mm, tube cylindric-campanulate to obconic, 1.2–2 mm, not saccate, lobes spreading to reflexed, lance-oblong to lance-ovate, equaling corolla tube length, margins entire or irregular, apex acute to acuminate or cuspidate, sometimes appearing tridentate, straight; infrastaminal scales oblong to obovate, 1–1.7 mm, 4/5 corolla tube length, bridged at 0.2–0.4 mm, rounded, uniformly densely fimbriate, fimbriae 0.1–0.3 mm; sta­mens exserted at full anthesis, shorter than corolla lobes; filaments 0.3–0.7 mm; anthers 0.3–0.7 × 0.2–0.5 mm; styles uniformly filiform, 0.4–0.9 mm, shorter than ovary. Capsules ellipsoid-ovoid, 1.6–2.5 × 1.7–2.4 mm, thickened and raised around relatively small interstylar aperture, not translucent, surrounded or capped by withered corolla, indehiscent. Seeds 1, ± obcompressed, broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 1.3–1.5 × 1.2–1.4 mm, hilum region subterminal. 2n = 30.

Phenology: Flowering Mar–Nov.
Habitat: Hosts: Atriplex, Centromadia, Cressa, Frankenia, Jaumea, Plantago, Salicornia, Sal­sola, Suaeda, Trichostema, Wislizenia.
Elevation: 0–1000 m.

Distribution

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Ariz., Calif., Nev., Utah, Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora).

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.