Cuscuta denticulata
Small-tooth dodder, Small-Tooth Dodder
(c) Henrik Kibak, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Convolvulaceae · Type: Vine · Native
Cuscuta denticulata (Small-tooth dodder) is a native California vine in the Convolvulaceae family, recognized by dentate margins and desert habitat diagnostic.
Small-tooth dodder is a native parasitic vine found in western and desert bioregions, inhabiting creosote-bush scrub and Joshua-tree woodland at elevations generally below 1,300 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces small white to cream-colored flowers clustered in dense head-like inflorescences up to 7 clusters long. Growing as a thin, thread-like parasitic vine that attaches to host plants, especially shrubs, with delicate pale stems. Its tiny flowers feature distinctive bell-shaped calyxes with finely dentate (toothed) margins and reflexed corolla lobes, each flower measuring 1.8 to 3.1 millimeters long. The fruit is a small, translucent spheric-ovoid structure containing a single seed that develops an enlarged embryo on one end.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; dentate margins and desert habitat diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: On herbs, especially shrubs in creosote-bush scrub, Joshua-tree woodland
Elevation: generally < 1300 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Riverside, Los Angeles, Merced, Mono, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Imperial
Outside California: to Utah, Arizona, Baja California
Bloom period
Cuscuta denticulata blooms May-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Cassytha: Cassytha has green color visible on close inspection; Cuscuta is pure orange/yellow with no green.; vs Funastrum: Funastrum has leaves and grows from the ground; Cuscuta is leafless and grows on other plants.; vs Eriogonum: Eriogonum grows from soil with visible leaves; Cuscuta wraps around other plants with no leaves.; vs Epilobium: Epilobium has green leaves and stands upright; Cuscuta is leafless orange strings on host plants.; vs Brandegea: Brandegea has tendrils and leaves; Cuscuta has no leaves, just orange thread-like stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cuscuta denticulata native to California?
Yes. Cuscuta denticulata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cuscuta denticulata bloom?
Cuscuta denticulata blooms May-Oct.
Where in California does Cuscuta denticulata grow?
Cuscuta denticulata occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Riverside, Los Angeles, Merced, Mono, San Diego and other counties, at elevations of generally < 1300 m.
What plant family does Cuscuta denticulata belong to?
Cuscuta denticulata is in the Convolvulaceae family, genus Cuscuta.
What habitat does Cuscuta denticulata grow in?
Cuscuta denticulata grows in On herbs, especially shrubs in creosote-bush scrub, Joshua-tree woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.