Cuscuta umbellata
a member of the Cuscuta genus in the family Convolvulaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Convolvulaceae
- Genus
- Cuscuta
- 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][2].
- Plant part
- Seed
Environment
- Range
- Southern N. America.
- Habitat
- Parasitic on Polygala spp, Atriplex spp, Suaeda spp, Alternanthera spp, Amaranthus spp and Euphorbia spp in N. Arizona.
- 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 that is being grown in a pot in the greenhouse[3].
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. This is a parasitic species that is devoid of leaves, roots or chlorophyll and so is totally dependant upon its host[3]. It must be grown next to the host plant, which it penetrates with suckers in order to obtain nutriment[3].
References
Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31