Convolvulaceae
Cuscuta

Cuscuta planiflora Ten.

First published in Fl. Napol. 3: 250 (1828)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Macaronesia, Medit. to NW. India, Eritrea to S. Africa, Madagascar. It is a holoparasitic annual and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Convolvulaceae, B. Verdcourt (East African Herbarium). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1963

Morphology General Habit
Stems slender, mostly 0.1–0.3 mm. in diameter, yellowish or crimson.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, subsessile, in dense clusters 5–10 mm. in diameter.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-lobes fleshy or turgid, obtuse or acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla-lobes acute or obtuse, membranous or turgid at the tips, equalling or shorter than the corolla-tube.
Morphology General Scales
Scales oblong, fringed, usually not bifid and usually not reaching to the base of the filaments, bridged low down or at the middle.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Styles and stigmas linear, slender, together 0.5–2 mm. long; styles longer or shorter than the stigmas.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule depressed-globose, markedly splitting around the base.
Distribution
Tropical and North AfricaEurope particularly the Mediterranean Region and southern Asiaalso introduced into the United States.
[FTEA]

Cuscutaceae, Maria Leonor Gonçalves. Flora Zambesiaca 8:1. 1987

Morphology General Habit
Stems slender, up to 0.3 mm. in diam., yellowish or crimson.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences more or less compact clusters.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers up to 3 mm. long, usually whitish, subsessile, more or less fleshy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx about enclosing the corolla tube or shorter, broadly campanulate; lobes fleshy or turgid, obtuse or acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla campanulate-globose; lobes more or less acute or slightly obtuse, membranous or turgid at the apices, about equalling the tube or shorter, spreading.
Morphology General Scales
Scales usually oblong, about reaching the stems or shorter, fringed, usually bifid, bridged low down or at the middle.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens shorter than the corolla lobes, filaments about equalling or longer than the anthers.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary globose; styles longer or shorter than the stigmas, slender; stigmas slender.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule depressed-globose, markedly splitting around the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovate, granulated, mostly less than 1 mm. long.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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