SafePlants

Slender Dodder-laurel & Dodder

This entry explores several plants commonly known as Slender Dodder-laurel and Dodder, focusing on their unique characteristics and interactions with the environment.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant has slender, string-like or thread-like stems.
• As a parasite, it forms a close connection that punctures the host stem.

Scientific Name and Common Names

• Scientific Name: Cassytha glabella (Slender Dodder-laurel), and various species within the genus Cuscuta (Dodder). Also mentioned: Cuscuta leptantha, Cuscuta californica, Cuscuta compacta, Cuscuta cephalanthi, Cuscuta obtusiflora var. glandulosa, Cuscuta indecora, and Cuscuta pacifica.
• Common Names: Slender Dodder-laurel, Smooth Cassytha, Tangled Dodder-laurel, Slender Devil's Twine, Dodder, California Dodder, Chaparral Dodder, Buttonbush Dodder, Peruvian Dodder, Pretty Dodder, Salt Marsh Dodder, European Dodder.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Family: Lauraceae (for Cassytha), Cuscutaceae (for Cuscuta indecora), Convolvulaceae (for European Dodder/genus Cuscuta), and Bindweed Family &#8211 Convolvulaceae.
• Cassytha is a genus of 17 species of parasitic vines.
• Forms and varieties include: Cassytha glabella f. glabella, Cassytha glabella form dispar.
• Subspecies mentioned: Ssp. halophyta

Distribution and Habitat

• Cassytha is mainly native to Australia.
• The plant is found in areas of native vegetation.
• Mentioned locations include: Walmer South Conservation Reserve, California, Keystone Marsh in Coupeville, WA.

Ecological Role

• Dodder is a parasitic annual plant.
• It infests many crops.
• The plant uses adjacent vegetation as a host.

Morphological Characteristics

• Slender, twining or thread-like stems that vary in color from pale green to yellow or bright orange.
• Dodder lacks roots and leaves, and also lacks chlorophyll.
• Flowers appear in tiny, nodule-like clusters and can be white or pale-pink.
• Stems can be yellow, orange, pink, or brown.
• Leafless.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Dodder attaches itself to a host organism.
• Slender Dodder-laurel and Downy Dodder-laurel are food plants for some caterpillars.
• The strong but slender dodder stems make a very close connection that then punctures the host stem, using a structure called a haustoria.

Resources and Further Information

• Dave's Garden is a community that shares tips and ideas for gardens, along with seeds and plants.
• Discover Life has a page about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Cuscuta leptantha.
• Collins English Dictionary provides a definition of "dodder."