Cuscuta hyalina
Observation - Cuscuta hyalina - Southern Africa. Description: Parasitic vine forming clumps of fine yellow-orange filamentous mats among weedy ground vegetation on sandy soil, they looked like small patches of fine straw from a distance. These plants were observed in the same place last year, and these noticeable s
Parasitic vine forming clumps of fine yellow-orange filamentous mats among weedy ground vegetation on sandy soil, they looked like small patches of fine straw from a distance. These plants were observed in the same place last year, and these noticeable "straw patches" are relatively short-lived, no more than a few weeks.
The branching stems are pale yellow when young maturing to a richer orange colour, the flowers are numerous, in loose bunches but covering most of the plant, (NOT in discreet, compact, spaced inflorescences). The flowers are white with long narrow, acute corolla lobes which reflex with age and adhered to the developing fruit. The calyx lobes, also white, form much smaller triangular points between the corolla lobes. The globose stigmas at the end of more or less free and unequal styles did not protrude far beyond the corolla tube, the stamens are a similar length to the styles. Most flowers have 5 calyx and corolla lobes and 5 stamens but a few are 4-merous. I don't think I can see any scales among the filaments in the photos but I'm not sure about this, I didn't look in the field. The depressed globose fruits age through orange to brown.
The host plant is a Tribulus species, possibly T. zeyheri