Family: Convolvulaceae
Cuscuta tasmanica
Citation:
Engelm., Trans. Acad. Sci. St Louis 1:512 (1859) var. tasmanica.
Synonymy: Cuscuta tasmanica Common name: Tasmanian dodder, golden dodder.
Description:
Stems slender, pale-yellow; inflorescence axillary, subtended by a concave triangular obtuse bract 1-1.5 mm long.
Flowers 5-merous, in loose few-flowered clusters; pedicels thick, as long as or longer than the flowers, 3-6 mm long; calyx more or less equalling the corolla tube, lobes unequal, oblong to ovate-oblong, obtuse, much longer than the tube; corolla 3-4 mm long, lobes oblong-ovate, obtuse, equalling or longer than the tube; stamens with filaments 0.3-0.7 mm long, more or less equalling the anthers; infrastaminal scales oblong, equalling or exceeding the corolla tube, abundantly fimbriate, fimbriae up to 0.5 mm long; styles 1-1.5 mm long, stigmas capitate.
Capsule depressed-globular, 3.5-3.8 mm diam., with an interstylar opening more or less 1 mm long, not circumscissile dehiscence; seeds 1.6-2 mm long.
Distribution:
|
S.Aust.: SE. W.Aust.; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas.
|
Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: mainly Dec. — May.
|
SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
|
Biology:
Parasitic on plants of saline coastal areas e.g. species of Wilsonia, Parapholis incurva and Chenopodium.
Taxonomic notes:
C. tasmanica Engelm. var. brevistyla Yuncker, Mem. Torrey Bot. Cl. 18:143 (1932) has been recorded from 2.5 km south of Martin Washpool Conservation Park (SE). It differs from the type variety in having much shorter styles.
Author:
Not yet available
|