Stems yellow to orange, slender to medium. Inflorescences loose to dense, paniculiform or cor­ymbiform, sometimes origi­nat­ing endogenously; bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedi­cels 0 or 1, ovate to lanceolate, mem­branous, margins entire, apex acute. Pedicels 0.5–6 mm, usu­ally papillate. Flowers 5-merous, 3–4.5(–5.3) mm, fleshy, perianth cells convex, domelike, perianth and ovary usually papillate; calyx creamy yellow to brownish, cupulate, 1/2–3/4 or longer than corolla tube length, divided 1/3–2/3 its length, not reticulate or shiny, lobes triangular-ovate to lanceolate, bases overlapping or not, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex acute to attenuate; corolla white, drying creamy yellow to dark brown, 2.5–4(–5) mm, tube campanulate to campanulate-cylindric, becoming sub­globose or urceo­late, 1.7–3 mm, not saccate, lobes sub­erect to erect, triangular-ovate, 1/3 to equaling corolla tube length, margins entire, apex acute, inflexed; infrastaminal scales sub­spatulate to spatulate, 1.7–3 mm, equaling corolla tube length, bridged at 0.3–0.9 mm, usually rounded, rarely truncate or 2 or 3(or 4)-lobed, uniformly densely fimbriate, fimbriae 0.4–0.7 mm; stamens barely exserted or included, shorter than corolla lobes; filaments 0.3–0.7 mm; anthers 0.3–0.8 × 0.2–0.5 mm; styles filiform, 1–2.5 mm, equaling ovary. Capsules globose to subglobose, 2–3.5 × 1.9–4(–5) mm, thickened and raised around relatively mid-sized interstylar aperture, translucent, surrounded or capped by withered corolla, indehiscent. Seeds 2–4, shape heterogeneous on same plant: obcompressed to weakly angled, broadly ellipsoid to transversely oblique, 1.4–1.8 × 1.2–1.6 mm, hilum region usually subterminal, rarely almost terminal.

Distribution

North America, Mexico, West Indies, South America.

Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Cuscuta indecora is closely related to C. coryli; it differs by its usually five-merous, larger flowers, uni­formly densely fimbriate infrastaminal scales, and more or less translucent, globose to subglobose capsules.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Cuscuta indecora var. attenuata, Cuscuta indecora var. indecora, Cuscuta indecora var. longisepala

Key

1	Calyces shorter than corolla tubes, divided 1/3–1/2 lengths, lobes triangular-ovate, bases overlapping.	Cuscuta indecora var. indecora
1	Calyces longer than corolla tubes, divided 2/3 lengths, lobes lanceolate, bases not overlapping.	> 2
2	Flower clusters loose; calyx lobe apices acute; hosts: herbs and woody plants, including Iva annua.	Cuscuta indecora var. longisepala
2	Flower clusters dense; calyx lobe apices acute-attenuate; hosts: usually Iva annua, rarely Symphyotrichum.	Cuscuta indecora var. attenuata