M.T.M. RAJPUT & S.S. TAHIR

Stem coarse, often reddish. Flowers in spike-like raceme, 2-10 in each cluster, 2-5 mm long, sessile or shortly pedicellate, whitish to pink, 5-merous. Calyx lobes up to 2 mm long, oval-ovate, obtuse, overlapping reaching to, about the middle of the corolla tube. Corolla cylindrical, bulging in the basal region in fruit; lobes oblong-ovate, obtuse, erect, more or less crenulate. Stamens sessile or subsessile below the sinuses; anther oblong linear. Scales inserted in lower part of corolla tube, oval or ovate, mostly bifid or only represented by lateral wings or infrequently, entire, not reaching the middle of corolla tube. Ovary oval, more or less pointed into c. 1.5 mm long style, stigmas 2, oval. Capsule ovoid, or ovate-conical, 7-9 x c. 6 mm, circumacissile with a regualr and well-defined line of cleavage, and leaving the persistent dissepiment in the calyx, withered corolla at the top. Seeds 2-3 mm long, oval, light to dark brown, smooth, hilum linear-oblique.

Type: Silesia, Germany.

Distribution: Chitral (Stewart l.c., Yunker l.c.), Central and Eastern Europe, extending westwards to the Netherlands.

Host: Parasite mostly on trees, often on Salix spp.

The authors have not seen any specimen of this species. Stewart (in Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. Kashm.) and Yuncker (in Flora Iran.) have cited Kent. 2079, a specimen from Chitral, Kalash as Cuscuta lupuliformis var. osiatica Engeim. The circumscription of the species is based mainly on Yuncker’s description.