Clover Dodder

Cuscuta epithymum is a non-photosynthetic parasitic plant with a filamentous, red-pigmented stem. The leaves are reduced to small, scale-like structures, and the flowers are white, grouped in small clusters. It was first described by Linnaeus in 1759 and is classified in the genus Cuscuta within the Convolvulaceae family. The taxonomic status of its type material was clarified by Garcia & Cafferty, who rejected an earlier designation by Rajpur & Tahir. The species is reported from multiple regions, including Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Slovakia, Australia, and parts of North America. Some authors have debated the dating of the species combination, as discussed by Garcia & Cafferty in Taxon (2005).