Cuscuta megalocarpa
Bigfruit Dodder
a perennial member of the Cuscuta genus in the family Convolvulaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Convolvulaceae
- Genus
- Cuscuta
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - parched and ground into a meal[1].
- Plant part
- Seed
Environment
- Range
- N. America - Minnesota to Montana and south to Colorado.
- Habitat
- Grows on various shrubs and herbs, also occasionally found on cultivated crops[3].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn, by lodging it among the stems of a host plant[2].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
We have virtually no information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. This is a parasitic species that is devoid of leaves, roots or chlorophyll and so is totally dependant upon its host[2]. It must be grown next to the host plant, which it penetrates with suckers in order to obtain nutriment[2].
References
Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00