Cuscuta veatchii
Desert dodder
(c) Alan Rockefeller, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alan Rockefeller · licence
Family: Convolvulaceae · Type: Vine · Native
Cuscuta veatchii (Desert dodder) is a native California vine in the Convolvulaceae family, recognized by desert habitat, dentate margins, and single seeds diagnostic.
Desert dodder is a California native perennial found in the southern San Diego County region in desert habitats at elevations of 400 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from March to October, this parasitic plant produces small, membranous flowers in compact umbel-like clusters with white to cream-colored parts. Growing as a thin, threadlike vine that attaches to host plants, it develops delicate stems that intertwine and wrap around other vegetation. Its flowers are distinctive, with bell-shaped calyxes approximately 1.9 to 3.2 millimeters long, featuring oblong lobes with irregularly fine-toothed margins and suberect corolla lobes. The plant produces small, translucent spheric-ovoid fruits containing a single seed approximately 0.8 to 1.15 millimeters wide.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 4 sympatric species; desert habitat, dentate margins, and single seeds diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Desert, on
Elevation: +- 400-1500 m.
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Cuscuta veatchii 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 veatchii native to California?
Yes. Cuscuta veatchii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cuscuta veatchii bloom?
Cuscuta veatchii blooms Mar-Oct(Dec).
What plant family does Cuscuta veatchii belong to?
Cuscuta veatchii is in the Convolvulaceae family, genus Cuscuta.
What habitat does Cuscuta veatchii grow in?
Cuscuta veatchii grows in Desert, on.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Cuscuta approximata — Alfalfa dodder
- Cuscuta brachycalyx — San joaquin dodder
- Cuscuta californica — Chaparral dodder
- Cuscuta californica var. apiculata — Chaparral dodder
- Cuscuta californica var. californica — California dodder
- Cuscuta californica var. papillosa — Chaparral dodder
- Dichondra donelliana — California ponysfoot
- Dichondra micrantha — Asian ponysfoot
- Dichondra occidentalis — Western dichondra
- Dichondra sp.
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.