Cuscuta californica Hook. & Arn. var. californica

 

Cuscutaceae (Dodder Family)  

                                                       

Native

 

California Witch’s Hair

                                            July Photo

 

Plant Characteristics: Annual parasitic vine; stems twining, thread-like, bright orange, glabrous; lvs. 0; infl. spike-like; fls. 2.6-4 mm., pedicelled; calyx persistent, lobes 5, spreading to recurved, lanceolate, acute to acuminate, 0.5-1 x corolla tube; corolla persistent, shallowly bell-shaped, gland-dotted, lobes 5, +/- 3-6 mm., reflexed to spreading, lanceolate, acute, appendages 0-0.1 mm, not bulged between stamens, not papillate; stamens 5, alternate corolla lobes; filaments 0.7-1.4 mm., anthers 0.2-1.1 mm., linear-oblong; ovary 1-2 mm., obovoid, gland-dotted, top depressed, styles 0.7-3mm., stigmas capitate; fr. obovoid 1.5-2mm, enveloped by perianth, tip depressed.

 

Habitat: On herbs and shrubs on roadsides, chaparral, grassland, yellow-pine forest; gen. below 2500 m.  California Floristic Province; to WA, NV, Baja CA.  Blooms in summer. (Hickman, Ed. 539).

 

Name: Cuscuta, supposed to be of Arabic derivation. (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 376);  californica, of California.

 

General:  Moderately common, growing along the horse and bike path near Jamboree Rd., mostly on Eriogonum fasciculatum. Unknown elsewhere in the study area.  (my comments).        Indian tribes made traps and snares of various materials.  Many snare loops were suspended from brush or sticks by Cuscuta species.  (Campbell 59).      The Cahuilla Indians, inhabitants of the Colorado Desert, the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains used C. californica as a scouring pad.  (Bean & Saubel 59).       About 100 species of wide distribution.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 376).

 

Text Ref:  Hickman, Ed. 539; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 377.

Photo Ref:  July 01 #2,4; Nov-April 01-02 #12A.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.

First Found: July 2001.

 

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 532.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit  6/8/04.

 

                                              April Photo