Stems yellow to orange, medium. Inflorescences dense, ± glomerulate; bracts at base of clusters 1, at base of pedicels and/or flowers 0 or 1, lanceolate to ovate, membranous, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate. Pedicels 0–1 mm. Flowers 5-merous, 5–7(–9 mm), mem­branous, papillate on corolla lobes; calyx usually straw yellow, sometimes brown, campanulate, 1/2 corolla tube length, divided 3/5–2/3 its length, finely reticulate, shiny, lobes broadly ovate to lanceolate, bases overlapping, margins entire, midvein not carinate, apex acute, sometimes cuspidate; corolla white, drying creamy yellow or brownish, 4.5–6.6 mm, tube cylindric, 2.5–3.5(–4.5) mm, not saccate, usually with horizontal ridges between stamen attachments, lobes spreading to reflexed, ovate-triangular, 1/4–1/3 corolla tube length, margins entire, apex acute, often slightly acuminate, straight; infrastaminal scales oblong to spatulate, 1.5–2.2 mm, 1/2–2/3 corolla tube length, bridged at 0.3–0.7 mm, rounded, uniformly densely to sparsely fim­briate, fimbriae 0.2–0.4 mm; stamens slightly exserted, shorter than corolla lobes; filaments 0–0.1 mm; anthers 0.8–2 × 0.4–0.5 mm; styles 1–1.5 mm, equaling ovary. Capsules ovoid to ellipsoid, 1.5–3 × 1.2–2.5 mm, nar­rowed and thickened, forming collar around relatively small interstylar aperture, not translucent, capped by withered corolla, indehiscent. Seeds 1, usually sub­globose to broadly ovoid, rarely slightly obcompressed, 1.3–1.7 × 1.2–1.5 mm, hilum region terminal.

Flowering Apr–Oct. Hosts: Adenostoma, Amelanch­ier, Arctostaphylos, Artemisia, Asclepias, Ceanothus, Cercis, Citrus, Clematis, Erigeron, Eriogonum, Grin­delia, Heteromeles, Monardella, Populus, Rhodo­dendron, Rhus, Rosa, Salix, Schinus, Solidago, Vitis, and other herbs and woody plants; forests near streams, canyon bottoms, wetlands, salt marshes; 0–2000 m; Calif.; Mexico (Baja California).

The name Cuscuta ceanothi Behr may pertain here. The type specimen of C. ceanothi was evidently destroyed, and the protologue is not sufficient to fix application of C. ceanothi to any one species of Cuscuta.