Cuscuta (), commonly known as dodder or amarbel, is a genus of over 201 species of yellow, orange, or red (rarely green) parasitic plants. The genus possess minimal chlorophyll and utilize haustoria to extract nutrient and water from host's vascular system. Formerly treated as the only genus in the family Cuscutaceae, it now is accepted as belonging in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae, on the basis of the work of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.
The genus is found throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the world, with the greatest species diversity in subtropical and tropical regions. Seedlings locate host plants by sensing volatile organic compounds. Many species are considered noxious weeds that are harmful to agriculture, and some are valued in traditional medicine.
Folk names include strangle tare, strangleweed, scaldweed, beggarweed, lady's laces, fireweed, wizard's net, devil's guts, devil's hair, devil's ringlet, goldthread, hailweed, hairweed, hellbine, love vine, pull-down, angel hair, and witch's hair.
Description
Cuscuta on creeper plant
Cuscuta can be identified by its thin stems of 1-3 mm in diameter appearing leafless, with the leaves reduced to minute scales. In these respects it closely resembles the similarly parasitic, but unrelated genus, Cassytha. From mid-summer to early autumn, the vines can produce small fruit that take the same color as the vine, and are approximately the size of a common pea. It has very low levels of chlorophyll; some species such as Cuscuta reflexa can photosynthesize slightly, while others such as C. europaea are entirely dependent on the host plants for nutrition.
Cuscuta europaea in flower
Cuscuta in Flower, Iran
Dodder forming a net on its host
Dodder flowers range in color from white to pink to yellow to cream. Floral nectary has a typical structure, consisting of nectariferous parenchyma overlain by a cuticularized epidermis featuring a distinct band of modified stomata. In terms of...
