Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Cuscuta campestris
Common name
Dodder, Golden Dodder, Field Dodder
Family
Convolvulaceae
Where found
Parasitises a wide range of native and introduced plants that growi in open woodland, grasslands, wetlands, and along streams. Also parasites crops e.g. lucerne. Sydney area north of Stanwell Park.
Notes
Introduced annual parasitic climbing herb. Leafless, with yellowish stems. Flowers white to cream, 2-3 mm long, 3–4 mm in diameter, tubular, with 5 (occasionally 3 or 4) lobes. Tips of the flower lobes flexed upwards (needs a hand lens or a macro app on your phone/tablet to see). Stalks of individual flowers mainly less than 2.5 mm long. Flowers in clusters to 15 mm in diameter along the stems. Flowering: mainly summer.
General Biosecurity Duty all NSW. Noxious weed Vic.
PlantNET description with line drawings of flower and seed case: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Cuscuta~campestris (accessed 7 January, 2021)
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