Convolvulaceae
Cuscuta

Cuscuta americana L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 124 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & Subtropical America. It is a holoparasitic annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as a medicine.

Distribution

Native to:

Argentina Northwest, Aruba, Bahamas, Brazil Northeast, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Florida, Haiti, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Netherlands Antilles, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Windward Is.

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms

Heterotypic Synonyms

Classification

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Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

  • Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
  • Aung, Y.L., Aung, M.H., Tan, Y. & Jin, X. (2025). An updated checklist of vascular plants of Myanmar. PhytoKeys 261: 135-364.
  • Austin, D. F. & M. Costea in Zuloaga, F. O., O. Morrone, & M. J. Belgrano (2008). Convolvulaceae. Catálogo de las plantas vascualres del Cono Sur 2: 1936-1966. Missouri Bot. Garden.
  • Austin, D. F. (1982). Flora of Ecuador 15: 3-99. Botanical Institute, University of Göteborg, Riksmuseum, Stockholm.
  • Austin, D.F. (1980). Studies of the Florida Convolvulaceae -- III. Cuscuta. Florida Scientist 43: 294-302.
  • Austin, D.F. in Boggan, J. Funck, V. & Kelloff, C. (1997). Convolvulaceae. Checklist of the Plants of the Guianas (Guyana, Surinam, Franch Guiana): 87-88. University of Guyana, Georgetown.
  • Austin, D.F. in Correll, D.S. & Correll, H.B. (1982). Convolvulaceae. Flora of the Bahama Archipelago: 1161-1190. J.Cramer, Vaduz.
  • Austin, D.F. in Lasser, T. (1982). Convolvulaceae. Flora de Venezuela 8(3): 15-226. Fundación Educación Ambiental.
  • Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
  • Bianchini, R.S., Ferreira, P.P.A. in Forzza, R.C. et al. (2010). Convolvulaceae. Lista de Espécies da Flora do Brasil Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro.
  • Eggers, H.F.A. in Eggers, H.F.A. (1879). Convolvulaceae. The flora of St Croix and the Virgin Islands: 70-73. US Government Printing Office.
  • Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2023). Flora of North America North of Mexico 14: 1-505. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
  • Gooding, E.G.B. & A.R. Loveless in Gooding, E.G.B. & A.R. Loveless (1965). Convolvulaceae. Flora of Barbados: 332-344. Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
  • Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.
  • Gray, A. in Gray, A. (1878). Convolvulaceae. Synoptical Flora of North America, edit. 1 2(2): 207-224, 394.
  • Grisebach, A.H.R. in Grisebach, A. H. R. (1862). Convolvulaceae. Flora of the British West Indian Isands: 466-476. Lovell Reeve.
  • Kartesz, J.T. in Kartesz, J.T. (1994). Convolvulaceae, Cuscutaceae. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland 1: 217-221-& 227-228. Timber Press.
  • Leon, H. & Alain, H. in Leon, H. (1957). Convolvulaceae. Flora de Cuba 4: 218-248. Cultural S. A., La Habana.
  • Liogier, A.H. in Liogier, A. H. (1994). Convolvulaceae. La flora de la Española 6: 49-114. Universidad Central del Este.
  • Liogier, H.A. & L.F. Martorell in Liogier, H.A. & Martorell, L.F. (2000). Convolvulaceae. Flora of Puerto Rico and Adjacent Islands: a Systematic Synopsis: 162-167. Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan.
  • Long, R. W. & O. Lakela in Long, R. W. & O. Lakela (1976). Convolvulaceae. A flora of tropical Florida: 711-724. Banyan Books.
  • Matuda, E. in Matuda, E. (1966). Las Convolvulaceas del estado de Mexico. Las Convolvulaceae del estado de Mexico: 1-56. Govierno del Estado de Mexico, Direccion de Agricultura y Ganaderia.
  • McPherson, G. [w/ D.F. Austin] in Braco, L. & Zarucchi, J.L. (1993). Convolvulaceae. Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Gymnosperms of Peru: 365-374. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis.
  • Powell, Dulcie A. (1979). The Convolvulaceae of the Lesser Antilles. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 60: 219-271.
  • Progel, A. in Martius, C.F.P.von & auct. suc. (eds.) (1869). Cuscutaceae. Flora Brasiliensis 7: 372-389 +406.
  • Yuncker, T.G. (1932). The genus Cuscuta. Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 18: 113-331. New York Botanical Garden.

An alternative taxonomy had been proposed by the following authorities:

  • Gray, A. in Gray, A. (1878). Convolvulaceae. Synoptical Flora of North America, edit. 1 2(2): 207-224, 394. [Cited as Cuscuta gronovii Willd..]

Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

  • Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
  • Adams, C.D. in Adams, C.D. (1972). Flowering Plants of Jamaica: 601-614. University of the West Indies, Mona.
  • Austin, D. F. & M. Costea in Zuloaga, F. O., O. Morrone, & M. J. Belgrano (2008). Convolvulaceae. Catálogo de las plantas vascualres del Cono Sur 2: 1936-1966. Missouri Bot. Garden.
  • Austin, D. F. (1982). Flora of Ecuador 15: 3-99. Botanical Institute, University of Göteborg, Riksmuseum, Stockholm.
  • Austin, D.F. (1980). Studies of the Florida Convolvulaceae -- III. Cuscuta. Florida Scientist 43: 294-302.
  • Austin, D.F. in Correll, D.S. & Correll, H.B. (1982). Convolvulaceae. Flora of the Bahama Archipelago: 1161-1190. J.Cramer, Vaduz.
  • Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
  • Bianchini, R.S., Ferreira, P.P.A. in Forzza, R.C. et al. (2010). Convolvulaceae. Lista de Espécies da Flora do Brasil Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro.
  • GBIF ( 2021-continuously updated). Global Biodiversity Information Facility http://www.gbif.org/.
  • Leon, H. & Alain, H. in Leon, H. (1957). Convolvulaceae. Flora de Cuba 4: 218-248. Cultural S. A., La Habana.
  • Liogier, A.H. in Liogier, A. H. (1994). Convolvulaceae. La flora de la Española 6: 49-114. Universidad Central del Este.
  • Liogier, H.A. & L.F. Martorell in Liogier, H.A. & Martorell, L.F. (2000). Convolvulaceae. Flora of Puerto Rico and Adjacent Islands: a Systematic Synopsis: 162-167. Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan.
  • Powell, Dulcie A. (1979). The Convolvulaceae of the Lesser Antilles. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 60: 219-271.
  • Yuncker, T.G. (1932). The genus Cuscuta. Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 18: 113-331. New York Botanical Garden.

Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

  • Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R., & Celis, M. (eds.). (2020). Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia. v1.1. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Dataset/Checklist. https://doi.org/10.15472/7avdhn
  • Diazgranados et al. (2021). Catalogue of plants of Colombia. Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia project. In prep.
  • Diazgranados, M., Allkin, B., Black N., Cámara-Leret, R., Canteiro C., Carretero J., Eastwood R., Hargreaves S., Hudson A., Milliken W., Nesbitt, M., Ondo, I., Patmore, K., Pironon, S., Turner, R., Ulian, T. (2020). World Checklist of Useful Plant Species. Produced by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity.
  • GBIF.org (2021). GBIF species matching tool. https://www.gbif.org/tools/species-lookup
  • GRIN (2021). Germplasm Resources Information Network from the United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.ars-grin.gov/
  • Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humbodlt (2014). Plantas alimenticias y medicinales nativas de Colombia. 2567 registros, aportados por: Castellanos, C. (Contacto del recurso), Valderrama, N. (Creador del recurso, Autor), Bernal, Y. (Autor), García, N. (Autor). http://i2d.humboldt.org.co/ceiba/resource.do?r=ls_colombia_magnoliophyta_2014
  • Medicinal Plant Names Services (MPNS) v.10 (2021); http://mpns.kew.org/
  • Plants for malaria, plants for fever: Medicinal species in Latin America, a bibliographic survey: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

Sources

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0