Taxon: Cuscuta approximata Bab.

Summary

Genus:

Cuscuta

Family:

Convolvulaceae

Tribe:

Cuscuteae

Nomen number:

311576

Place of publication:

Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 13:253, t. 4, fig. 3. 1844

Verified:

09/07/2004 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

0 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System.

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Cuscuta cupulata Engelm.
Cuscuta rhodesiana Yunck.

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
Cufodontis, G. 1953-1972. Enumeratio plantarum aethiopiae: Spermatophyta.
Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Douglas, G. W. et al., eds. 1999. Illustrated flora of British Columbia.
Eriksson, O. et al. 1979. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 2.
Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds
Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931-1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc.
Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
National Plant Board. 2008-. National Plant Board federal and state quarantine summaries
Täckholm, V. 1974. Students' flora of Egypt, ed. 2.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Yuncker, T. G. 1965. Cuscuta. In: Britton, N. L. et al., eds. ser. 1; C. T. Rogerson, ed. ser. 2, North American flora ser. 2, 4:40. Note: ser. 1, 1905-1957; ser. 2, 1954-1972

Common names

Language	Name	Alternate name	note	seq	Citation
English	smooth-seed alfalfa dodder		http://nationalplantboard.org/docs/summaries/washington.pdf	1	National Plant Board. 2008-. National Plant Board federal and state quarantine summaries

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Algeria			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Egypt			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Morocco			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kazakhstan			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kyrgyzstan			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Tajikistan			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Turkmenistan			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Uzbekistan			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Afghanistan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iran
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iraq
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Israel
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Jordan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Lebanon
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Syria
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Turkey			Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Pakistan
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation-European part	European part		Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Switzerland			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Albania			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Former Yugoslavia			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Greece			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Italy		incl. Sardinia, Sicily	Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Romania			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France		incl. Corsica	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Portugal			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain		incl. Baleares	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Germany			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Hungary			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Northern Europe	United Kingdom			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Nebraska		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	North Dakota		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Colorado		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Idaho		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Montana		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Oregon		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Washington		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Wyoming		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	New Mexico		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	California		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Nevada		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Utah		Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	British Columbia		Douglas, G. W. et al., eds. 1999. Illustrated flora of British Columbia.

Native
Africa

NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco

Asia-Temperate

WESTERN ASIA: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
MIDDLE ASIA: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
CHINA: China [Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu]

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Pakistan

Europe

MIDDLE EUROPE: Switzerland
EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Federation-European part [European part]
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Former Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Romania
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Corsica), Portugal

Naturalized
Europe

NORTHERN EUROPE: United Kingdom
MIDDLE EUROPE: Germany, Hungary
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Bulgaria

Northern America

WESTERN CANADA: Canada [British Columbia]
NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Nebraska, North Dakota]
NORTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [New Mexico]
SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [California, Nevada, Utah]

Reference(s)

Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Douglas, G. W. et al., eds. 1999. Illustrated flora of British Columbia.
Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
Kartesz, J. T. 2011. North American plant atlas. The Biota of North America Program (BONAP)
Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Weed	parasite		Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=311576. Accessed 22 October 2026.