Annuals, Cuscutaceae - Dodder Family, Desert Plants, Hemiparasites and Parasites, Herbs and Forbs, Mountain Plants, Native Wildflowers and Plants, Noxious Weeds, Perennials, Riparian and Wetland Plants, Spring Blooming Plants, Summer Blooming Plants, Upland Plants, Vines, White Arizona Flowers, White Flowers

Cuscuta spp. – Dodder

Cuscuta sp. - Dodder (host plant is Rosary Babybonnets (Coursetia glandulosa))

Cuscuta sp. - Dodder (host plant is Rosary Babybonnets (Coursetia glandulosa))

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Cuscuta spp.

Common Name: Dodder

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual, Perennial (most commonly)

Growth Habit: Vine, Herb/Forb, Parasite

Arizona Native Status: Native. All Dodder species in Arizona are native.

Habitat: Desert, Upland, Mountain, Riparian

Flower Color: Cream or white

Flowering Season: Spring, Summer

Height: Twining to several feet (1m) long or more

Description: The flowers are small and have 4 or 5 lobes, sepals, and stamens. Dodders are parasites of other plants and do not have true leaves, roots, or green chlorophyll. The twining, yellow to orange stems attach to and obtain nutrients from a variety of host plants. Dodders typically appear as a tangled mass of orange or yellow string in the host plant. The unfortunate host plant pictured above is a Rosary Babybonnets (Coursetia glandulosa).

There are 17 species of dodder found here in Arizona, and identifying a particular species can require a microscope and expertise.

Special Characteristics

Legal Status – All Arizona Dodder species are Arizona State-listed Noxious Weeds (Prohibited Noxious Weeds, Restricted Noxious Weeds).

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Solanales
Family: Cuscutaceae – Dodder family
Genus: Cuscuta L. – dodder