Cuscuta capitata Roxb.

Host: Chiefly on low herbs.

This species is dose to Cuscuta pulhella, but can be separated by Its sessile flowers and papillate, oblong-lanceolate; petals, c. 0.5 mm long style and elongated stigma.

Stem thin, brown to violet, usually not interlaced, making a few spirals around the host stem. Leaves oblong-elliptical, obtuse, 1.5-2 x 0.7-1 mm. Flowers in cyme clusters or rarely one at each node, papillate sessile, 2.5-3 mm long. Bract leaf-like. Sepal lobes 4, 1.5-3 x 0.8-1 mm, oblong-lanceolate, mostly acute or sometimes acute obtuse, slightly fleshy below scarious above, mostly unequal, tube 0.5-1 mm long. Petals 4.2-3 x 0.5-1 mm, oblong-lanceolate, acute, papillate, semi-fleshy, ivory white, tips slightly yellow; tube 1.5-2 mm long; scales membranous, shorter than the corolla tube, extremely thin, toothed or moderately fringed, c. 05mm long, Stamens 4, filament linear, shorter than corolla tube, membranous, c. 0.2 mm long, fused part of the filament prominent; anther elliptical, light brown, basifixed, c. 0.4 x c. 0.3 mm. Ovary globular, fleshy, thin, with a intrastylar opening, c. 0.7 x c. 1 mm; style 2, linear, dark-brown, c. 0.5 mm long; stigma elongated linear, dark brown, 0.5 mm long; ovule 4, ivory white, c. 0.3 mm in diameter. Fruit and seed not seen.

Distribution: Central Asia, from Sarepta to the Altai and Himalayas, mostly at high altitudes.