Cuscuta salina
Salt dodder, Salt Dodder
(c) Gabriel Campbell-Martinez, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Convolvulaceae · Type: Vine · Native
Cuscuta salina (Salt dodder) is a native California vine in the Convolvulaceae family, recognized by salt flat habitat and tall scales diagnostic.
Salt dodder is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Great Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, and White and Inyo Mountains on inland salt flats at elevations of 50 to 100 meters. Flowering from May to November, this plant produces small, membranous flowers in umbel-like clusters with 2 to 16 flowers. Growing as a parasitic vine, it attaches to host herbs with thin, thread-like stems. Its flowers are distinctive, with delicate lance-ovate calyx lobes and corolla tubes featuring densely fringed scales that nearly cover the tube. The small fruit is elliptic-ovoid, surrounded by the persistent corolla, creating a unique capsule-like structure characteristic of dodder species.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 17 sympatric species; salt flat habitat and tall scales diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Generally on herbs on inland salt flats
Elevation: 50-100 m
California counties: Ventura, Imperial, Riverside, Fresno, Merced, Orange, San Diego, Los Angeles, Tulare, Santa Barbara, Solano, Inyo, San Mateo, Monterey, Kern, Alameda, San Luis Obispo, Marin, Humboldt, Santa Clara, Mendocino, San Bernardino, Santa Cruz, Yolo, Kings, Madera, Colusa, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Sonoma
Outside California: to Washington, Utah, New Mexico, Baja California
Bloom period
Cuscuta salina blooms May-Nov.
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 salina native to California?
Yes. Cuscuta salina is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cuscuta salina bloom?
Cuscuta salina blooms May-Nov.
Where in California does Cuscuta salina grow?
Cuscuta salina occurs in Ventura, Imperial, Riverside, Fresno, Merced, Orange, San Diego, Los Angeles and other counties, at elevations of 50-100 m.
What plant family does Cuscuta salina belong to?
Cuscuta salina is in the Convolvulaceae family, genus Cuscuta.
What habitat does Cuscuta salina grow in?
Cuscuta salina grows in Generally on herbs on inland salt flats.
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.