SafePlants

No images found for this plant ID: 12922.

Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "12922" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.

Safe for Children?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Dogs?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Cats?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Reptiles?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

bigseed alfalfa dodder

Scientific Name: Cuscuta indecora var. indecora

Family: Cuscutaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Vine, Forb/herb

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Cuscuta indecora: Bigseed Alfalfa Dodder

Cuscuta indecora, commonly known as Bigseed Alfalfa Dodder, is a fascinating plant with a unique lifestyle. Belonging to the dodder family, it showcases characteristics that set it apart from typical plants.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Cuscuta indecora Choisy
  • Family: Convolvulaceae (Morning Glory Family) or Cuscutaceae (Dodder Family - mentioned in the text, but the primary family based on multiple mentions is Convolvulaceae)
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Taxonomic Rank: Species
  • Synonyms and Common Names:
    • Bigseed Alfalfa Dodder
    • Largeseed Dodder
    • Pretty Dodder
    • Large Alfalfa Dodder
    • Large-seed Dodder
    • Showy Dodder
    • Beggar Vine
    • Love Fine
    • Strangleweed
    • Western Field Dodder
    • Greater Dodder
  • Varieties:
    • Cuscuta indecora Choisy var. indecora
    • Cuscuta indecora Choisy var. neuropetala (Englemann) A.S.
    • Cuscuta indecora var. bifida

Distribution and Habitat

  • Cuscuta indecora is primarily a Great Plains species.
  • Its range extends from Illinois to South Dakota and from Florida to California.
  • It is also found in Mexico.

Ecological Role

  • Dodder is described as a parasitic plant.
  • It is a restricted noxious weed in Arizona.
  • It is a rootless plant.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Growth Habit: Forb/herb, Vine (parasitic)
  • Duration: Perennial
  • Dodders are seed plants parasitic on stems and other parts of cultivated or wild plants and are leafless.

Considerations for Pets

  • The text mentions that Cuscuta indecora is a vine. Vines can sometimes present a hazard if ingested or if pets become entangled in them.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Dodders are parasitic on stems and other parts of cultivated or wild plants.

Further Information

  • USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
  • Discover Life
  • invasive.org