CUSCUTA L., Sp. Pl. 1: 124. 1753.
Anthanema Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4: 90. 1836.
Aplostylis Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4: 91.1836.
Buchingera F. Schultz, Jahrb. Pract. Pharm. Verwandte Fächer 14: 170. 1847.
Epilinella Pfeiff., Bot. Zeit. 3: 673. 1845.
Grammica Lour., Fl. Cochinch. 170. 1790.
Kadurias Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4: 91. 836.
Kadula Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4: 90. 1836.
Monogynella Des Moul., Etudes Org. Cusc. 65. 1853.
Lepimenes Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4: 91.1836.
Nemepis Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4: 91. 1836.
Succuta Des Moul., Etudes Org. Cusc. 74: 11.1853.
Pentake Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4: 90. 1836.
Cuscuta europaea L.; lectotype designated by N. L. Britton & A. Brown, Ill, Fl. N.U.S. ed. 2. 3: 48. 1913.
Chromosome details
Cosmopolitan, except Arctic, sub-Arctic and Antarctic geographical areas. map
Encountered in a wide diversity of terrestrial ecosystems: temperate to tropical forests, grasslands, deserts, mountains, and saline habitats (elevation: 0 to 3,500 m above sea level). Similarly to other parasitic plants, Cuscuta spp. are keystone species because they impact the diversity and structure of the plant communities in which they occur. Weedy species thrive in disturbed habitats: ruderal or agricultural.
Phenology
A generic phylogeny was provided by McNeal et al (2007) but it was based on only 33 species. Three major infrageneric groups proposed by Engelmann (1859), Cuscuta, Grammica and Monogynella, provide a largely adequate backbone for the classification of the genus. Section Pachystigma, which includes several species from South Africa and is currently included in subg. Cuscuta, may require separation as a distinct subgenus. Detailed phylogenies are available for subgenera Cuscuta (García and Martin, 2007) and Grammica (Stefanović et al. 2007).
Inflorescence morphology; number of styles; shape of stigmas.
Subgenus Monogynella = Inflorescences thyrse; gynoecium with one style, sometimes distally bifid.
Subgenus Cuscuta = Inflorescences monochazial cymes; gynoecium with 2 equal styles; stigmas elongate: cylindrical, terete or clavate.
Subgenus Grammica = Inflorescences monochazial cymes; gynoecium with 2 unequal styles; stigmas capitate.
Evolutionary relationships of Cuscuta in the morning glory family are still unresolved. The position of Cuscuta in Convolvulaceae was, however, narrowed down to these phylogenetic scenarios (Stefanović and Olmstead 2004): 1) Cuscuta as a sister to the “bifid style” clade (Dicranostyloideae) which comprises the tribes Hildebrandtieae, Cresseae, Dichondreae, and in part Convolvuleae, Poraneae and Erycibeae; 2) Cuscuta as a sister to the “bifid clade” together with “clade 1” (Convolvuloideae), which includes the tribes Ipomoeae, Argyreieae, Merremiae and some Convolvuleae; 3) Cuscuta as a sister to one of the members of the “bifid clade”—but this possibility was deemed “unlikely” and could not be formally tested because the relationships within this clade were unresolved (Stefanović and Olmstead 2004). The diversity and evolution of pollen and gynoecium structures in Cuscuta support a relationship with the “bifid clade” (Welsh et al 2010; Wright et al. 2011).
Costea, M. 2007-onwards. Digital Atlas of Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae). https://www.wlu.ca/page.php?grp_id=2147&p=8968
Dawson, J.H., L.J. Musselman, P. Wolswinke, I. Dörr. 1994. Biology and control of Cuscuta. Rev. Weed Sci. 6: 265–317.
Engelmann, G. 1859. Systematic arrangement of the species of the genus Cuscuta with critical remarks on old species and descriptions of new ones. Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 1:453–523.
García, M.A., Martin MP. 2007. Phylogeny of Cuscuta subgenus Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae) based on nrDNA ITS and chloroplast trnL intron sequences. Syst. Bot. 32: 899–916.
Hunziker, A.T. 1949. Las especies de Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae) de Argentina y Uruguay. Trab. Mus. Bot. Uni. Nac. Córdoba. Year XII: 1101–1202.
Meulebrouck, K., E. Ameloot, R. Brys, L. Tanghe, K. Verheyen, M. Hermy. 2009. Hidden in the host – Unexpected vegetative hibernation of the holoparasite Cuscuta epithymum (L.) L. and its implications for population persistence. Flora 204: 306–315.
McNeal J.R., K. Arumugunathan, J. V.Kuehl, J. L. Boore, C. W. dePamphilis. 2007. Systematics and plastid genome evolution of the cryptically photosynthetic parasitic plant genus Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae). BMC Biol 5:55
Stefanović S., R. G. Olmstead. 2004. Testing the phylogenetic position of a parasitic plant (Cuscuta, Convolvulaceae, Asteridae): Bayesian inference and the parametric bootstrap on data drawn from three genomes. Syst. Biol. 53: 384–399.
Stefanović, S., Kuzmina, M., Costea, M. 2007. Delimitation of major lineages within Cuscuta subgenus Grammica (dodders; Convolvulaceae) using plastid and nuclear DNA sequences. Am. J. Bot. 94: 568–589.
Stefanović, S., M. Costea. 2008. Reticulate evolution in the parasitic genus Cuscuta: over and over and over again. Botany 86: 791–808.
Yuncker, T.G. 1921 (1970). Revision of the North American and West Indian species of Cuscuta. Illinois Biol. Monogr. 6: 91–231.
Yuncker, T.G. 1932. The genus Cuscuta. Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 18: 113–331.
Welsh, M., S. Stefanović, M. Costea. 2010. Pollen evolution and its taxonomic significance in Cuscuta. Pl. Syst. Evol. 285: 83–101.
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