Scaldweed

Description

Cuscuta gronovii is a yellow vine that grows as a parasite off other plants. It is a dicot. Cuscuta gronovii belongs to the family Convolvuaceae, including the morning glories, comprising about 200 species. It is a parasitic annual vine that infects host plants in a parasitic relationship. ts stems appear orange-yellow in color. The vine can grow up to a length of one meter or more, entangling itself around the host plant. Although it appears to be leafless, it has tiny, alternate, scale-like leaves. The vine produces white flowers with bell-shaped, five-lobed corollas, and sepals united at the base. The flowers are roughly 1/8 of an inch apart from one another. There are currently four known subspecies of Cuscuta: calyptrata, gronovii, laterifola, saururi.