Jepson’s dodder

Stems pale yellow, slender. In­flo­rescences moderately dense, corymbiform or glomer­ulate; bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedicels 0 or 1, ovate to lanceolate, membra­nous, mar­gins entire, apex acute. Pedicels 0.5–1.5 mm, papillate. Flowers 5-merous, 2–3 mm, fleshy, peri­anth cells convex, domelike, perianth papillate; calyx yellow-brownish, shallowly cupulate, 1/2 corolla tube length, divided 1/2 its length, not reticulate or shiny, lobes triangular, bases not overlapping, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex acute; corolla white, drying brownish, 1.8–2.8 mm, tube campanulate-globulose, 1.3–2 mm, later urceolate, not saccate, lobes erect, ovate-triangular, 1/3–1/2 corolla tube length, margins entire, apex acute, inflexed; infrastaminal scales absent; stamens included, shorter than corolla lobes; filaments 0.2–0.3 mm; anthers 0.2–0.3 × 0.2–0.3 mm; styles subulate, 0.4–0.8 mm, much shorter than ovary. Capsules subglobose or globose to slightly depressed-globose, 2–3 × 2–3.5 mm, thickened and raised around relatively large interstylar aperture, translucent, surrounded by withered corolla, indehiscent. Seeds 2–4, broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, ob­compressed, 0.9–1.1 × 0.8–1 mm, hilum subterminal.

Flowering Jul–Sep. Hosts: Ceanothus diversifolius, C. prostratus; mixed forests of Pinus jeffreyi, P. ponderosa, and Pseudotsuga menziesii; of conservation concern; 1100–1600 m; Calif.

Cuscuta jepsonii belongs to sect. Californicae Yunker (M. Costea and S. Stefanović 2009) and was presumed extinct until collected again from Yosemite National Park (Mariposa County) in 2009.