Largeseed Dodder. Cuscuta indecora, Dodder Family: ( Cuscutaceae ), Dodder. Also called: bigseed alfalfa dodder, angel's hair, devilguts, devil's hair, devil's ringlet, goldthread, hailplant, hairweed, hell bind, love vine, pull down, stranglevine, strangleweed, tangle gut, and witches' shoelaces. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. There are 17 species of dodder found in Arizona and approximately 170 species worldwide. Dodders are parasitic, stringy, leafless, rootless, yellow-stemmed vines that attach to and obtain nutrients from host plants. Despite their almost complete lack of chlorophyll and leaves, dodders are true flowering plants, and are closely related to the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae). The dodders are a very difficult group to identify. Upon emergence, the leafless dodder seedlings make a counterclockwise twining until they make contact with a host plant. Dodder makes the attachment to a host in less than 24 hours. The dodder seedlings that fail to find a host die within about 10 days. Dodder is on the USDA's "Top Ten Weeds List." It is a restricted noxious weed in Arizona. However, Cuscuta indecora is considered native and is not on the list. Quick Notes: Height: Height to about 10 inches. About 3 - 6 feet spread as they cover the host plant. Flowers: White or cream colored flowers that are bellshaped, fleshy mostly 5-lobed, 1/12 to 1/4 inch long, and arranged in clusters along the stems. Flowering Time: July to September. Usually September - October At 5,000 Feet. Fruit: The fruit is a round capsule that is approximately 3 mm long and it contains 4 seeds. Leaves: The dioecious, narrow, linear, stalkless leaves are untoothed, with recurved (rolled) margins, coverd with a fine grey down, usually giving a grey - green to a golden - yellow overall appearance. Leaves are basically reduced to scales. Found: Native to the USA (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WY), USA+ (PR, VI), also Canada (SK)); and northern Sonora, northern Chihuahua, Baja Norte, & Baja California, in Mexico. Hardiness: USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 �C (15 �F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 �C (20 �F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 �C (25 �F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 �C (30 �F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 �C (35 �F) USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 �C (40 �F) Soil pH requirements: 5.6 to 6.0 (acidic) 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) 7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline) Sun Exposure: Full Sun Elevation: 0 - 5,000 Feet. Habitat: Parasite of woody as well as herbaceous plants. Especially, mesquite, and catclaw. Deserts, mesas and along roadsides. Miscellaneous: Leaves Photos Taken May 17, 2005. Hillside, Arizona. Flower Photos Taken September 30, 2006. Hillside and Bagdad, Arizona.

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