Family: Convolvulaceae
Common name: Fiveangled dodder, Cuscuta, Field dodder
Cuscuta is a dreaded parasitic plant that has very unique systems to suck nutrients and water from the host plant it stays on. They are found in a wide variety of climates and growing conditions, making them very difficult to get rid of.
Plant characteristics
Cuscuta plants germinate in the soil, from where they send up stems in search of host plants. Once it finds a host plant, it produces specialized roots called haustoria that can penetrate the host plant and access its xylem and phloem.
The xylem transports water, and the phloem transports food and nutrients. Once the Cuscuta has access to these, it can absorb water, nutrients, and sugars from the host plant.
They do not have a root system, just a bunch of stems that are seen on top of the host plants. Since all water and nutrient absorption happens through the specialized haustoria, these plants do not need traditional roots, or any contact with the soil.
These plants are very unappealing with long threads of tangled up stems that look pale green and lifeless. These stems can grow to a length of 3-5 meters twining all around the host plant or on top of the surrounding vegetation, forming dense mats on it.
Cuscuta stems have small scale-like structures, which are modified leaves that cannot perform photosynthesis, but help attach the plant to its host. Neither the stem nor the leaves contain any chlorophyll, since they don’t need to perform photosynthesis or produce food of its own.
Flowers are quite distinct and usually help in identifying the different species of Dodders. Cuscuta pentagona has small tubular flowers produced in large clusters. Each flower is a five-lobed structure, giving the plant its name pentagona.
They are 2-4 mm in diameter, pale yellow or green in color, though they can get a pink or purple tint on maturity. The abundance of flowers attracts insects that help pollinate the flowers.
Cuscuta plants also produce small capsule-like fruits that contain several seeds that are only about a millimeter long. Seeds can be dispersed by wind, water, or small animals that eat them.
The seeds are very light and can travel long distances before they germinate.
They can also stay dormant in the soil for many years, before they have favorable conditions to germinate. For these reasons, Cuscuta plants are super-aggressive and super-invasive.
The first stems should be pulled out as soon as they are sighted, and removed completely without leaving any sign of a stem.
Growing tips
Nobody in their right mind would grow Cuscuta in their gardens, but here are some characteristics of Cuscuta plants that would help you understand them better.
These plants need good sunlight, but they are capable of growing in partial or filtered sunlight. Their height and health depend on that of the host plant, since they grow and absorb nutrients from the host plant.
And for this reason, Cuscuta plants do not need watering, fertilization, good soil quality, pruning, or pesticide treatments. They are quite self-sufficient, provided the host plant is alive and growing.
These plants are usually grown for research purposes on suitable host plants like tomatoes or beans. In the photos here, Cuscuta is growing as a parasite on Mikania micrantha or Bittervine, which is growing on a Banana tree or Musa for support.
Uses of Cuscuta plants
There are no well-known and well-researched medicinal or commercial uses for Cuscuta.
They are parasitic plants that should be removed from agricultural areas, gardens, or backyards as soon as they are sighted. Mechanically, by pulling them out, or through chemical means.
Propagation
Propagation is through seeds and stem cuttings. Seeds germinate very quickly, sending out long stems in search of host plants.
Photographed at: Thrissur, Kerala
