Cuscuta subinclusa
Canyon dodder
(c) LJ Moore-McClelland, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Convolvulaceae · Type: Vine · Native
Cuscuta subinclusa (Canyon dodder) is a native California vine in the Convolvulaceae family, recognized by largest flowers with ridged tubes and long linear anthers diagnostic.
Canyon dodder is a California native parasitic plant found in diverse bioregions including the Northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, Southern Coast Ranges, Southern California, northern Channel Islands, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, San Jacinto Mountains, and Great Basin at elevations below 2,000 meters. Flowering from March to October, this plant produces small cream to yellowish flowers clustered in dense head-like groups of 5 to 20 blooms. Growing as a threadlike parasitic vine that attaches to host plants like herbs and shrubs in stream corridors and river canyon bottoms, it lacks chlorophyll and depends entirely on its host for nutrition. Its flowers are distinctive, with bell-shaped calyxes and corolla tubes featuring horizontally ridged surfaces and spreading lobes. The tiny fruit is nearly ovoid, measuring 1.5 to 3 millimeters wide and capped by the persistent corolla.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 19 sympatric species; largest flowers with ridged tubes and long linear anthers diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Generally on herbs, shrubs, in forests near streams, river canyon bottoms, salt marshes
Elevation: < 2000 m
California counties: Orange, San Diego, Los Angeles, Inyo, Kern, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Napa, Ventura, Contra Costa, Butte, Riverside, Plumas, Lake, Tulare, Alameda, El Dorado, San Luis Obispo, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sacramento, Nevada, Solano, Marin, Fresno, Stanislaus, Merced, San Mateo, Sonoma, Sierra, Yuba, Santa Cruz, Mariposa, Santa Clara, Monterey, San Benito, Humboldt, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Mendocino, Modoc, Yolo, Trinity, Placer
Outside California: Oregon, Baja California
Bloom period
Cuscuta subinclusa blooms Mar-Oct(Dec?).
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 subinclusa native to California?
Yes. Cuscuta subinclusa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cuscuta subinclusa bloom?
Cuscuta subinclusa blooms Mar-Oct(Dec?).
Where in California does Cuscuta subinclusa grow?
Cuscuta subinclusa occurs in Orange, San Diego, Los Angeles, Inyo, Kern, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Napa and other counties, at elevations of < 2000 m.
What plant family does Cuscuta subinclusa belong to?
Cuscuta subinclusa is in the Convolvulaceae family, genus Cuscuta.
What habitat does Cuscuta subinclusa grow in?
Cuscuta subinclusa grows in Generally on herbs, shrubs, in forests near streams, river canyon bottoms, salt marshes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Cuscuta suksdorfii — Mountain dodder
- Cuscuta veatchii — Desert dodder
- Cuscuta approximata — Alfalfa dodder
- Cuscuta brachycalyx — San joaquin dodder
- Cuscuta californica — Chaparral dodder
- Cuscuta californica var. apiculata — Chaparral dodder
- Dichondra donelliana — California ponysfoot
- Dichondra micrantha — Asian ponysfoot
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.