Cuscuta californica var. papillosa

Chaparral dodder

Family: Convolvulaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Chaparral dodder is a California native parasitic plant found in the northern Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada foothills, Central Valley, southern Coast Ranges, and southern Coastal regions in chaparral habitats at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from March to September, this plant produces small, densely papillate flowers with a distinctive spheric to spheric-depressed appearance. Growing as a threadlike, yellow-orange parasitic vine that attaches to host herbs and shrubs, it lacks chlorophyll and relies entirely on its host for nutrition. Its threadlike stems wrap completely around host plants, forming intricate, web-like connections with densely packed, small flowers. The plant produces spheric seeds, typically one to four per flower cluster.

Habitat: On herbs, shrubs in chaparral

Bloom period: Mar-Sep

Elevation: < 1500 m

Bioregions: NCoRI, SNF, GV, SCoRO, SCo.

California counties: Riverside, Plumas, Butte, San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Monterey, San Benito, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Tulare, Merced, Mendocino, Ventura

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.