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Chaparral Dodder
Cuscuta californica
  
0 Nurseries Carry This Plant

About Chaparral Dodder (Cuscuta californica) 0 Nurseries Carry This Plant Cuscuta californica is a species of dodder known by the common names Chaparral dodder and California dodder. It is native to western North America. Cuscuta californica is a parasitic vine which climbs other plants and takes nutrition directly from them via a haustorium. The dodder resembles a pile of yellow-orange straw wrapped tightly around its host plant. It is mostly stem; the leaves are reduced to scales on the stem's surface, since they are not needed for photosynthesis while the dodder is obtaining nutrients from its host. It bears tiny white flowers which are only about 3 millimeters wide, and fruits which are even smaller. Cuscuta californica is a parasitic vine which climbs other plants and takes nutrition directly from them via a haustorium. The dodder resembles a pile of yellow-orange straw wrapped tightly around its host plant. It is mostly stem; the leaves are reduced to scales on the stem's surface, since they are not needed for photosynthesis while the dodder is obtaining nutrients from its host. It bears tiny white flowers which are only about 3 millimeters wide, and fruits which are even smaller. Habitat. This is a member of grassland and chaparral plant communities, and can be found in weedy, partially developed areas. Like most other dodders, this species is considered a noxious weed in many areas.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Vine, Annual herb

Flower Color
Flower Color
White

Wildlife Supported
 


 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 3 likely * ) SHOW ALL
*
Callophrys augustinus Image
The Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinusCallophrys augustinus
*
Hyles lineata Image
White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata
*
Lorita scarificata Image
Chrysanthemum Flower Borer Lorita scarificataLorita scarificata

Landscaping Information
Natural Setting
Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 3.0" - 115.6", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 3.95", Coldest Month: 21.3" - 61.4", Hottest Month: 49.1" - 88.8", Humidity: 0.29" - 42.79", Elevation: -15" - 11012"

Alternative Names
Common Names: California Dodder


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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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