Cuscuta astyla Engelmann.

Stems pinkish, deep purple tuberculate, stout, 1-2 mm in diam. Inflorescences loosely or densely spicate-paniculate; bracts ovate-circular or ovate-triangular, 1-2 mm, fleshy, apex acute. Flowers subsessile or pedicellate. Calyx cupular; sepals ovate-circular, equal, apex acute. Corolla rose to white, or purple late in anthesis, urceolate to tubular, or campanulate, 3-3.5 mm; lobes 5, ovate-circular, 1/2 length of tube, margin entire or minutely dentate, apex obtuse. Stamens inserted at throat; filaments ca. as long as anthers; anthers oval or oval-cordate; scales oblong, reaching middle of tube, ± 2-cleft, fimbriate. Ovary subglobose. Style 1, ca. 0.5 mm; stigma capitate, ca. as long as style, shallowly cleft. Capsule ovoid-globose, ca. 4 mm, circumscissile. Seeds 1 or 2, dark brown, subcordate, 3-3.5 mm, smooth. 2n = 28.

On trees, shrubs, perennial herbs. Xinjiang [Mongolia, Russia; SW Asia].