Cuscuta campestris
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64405baef1670512403574 |
| Scientific name | Cuscuta campestris |
| Authority | Yunck. |
| First published in | Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 18: 138 (1932) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Scientific and model uses:
Cuscuta campestris is employed as a model organism for investigations into the biology of parasitic plants. Its holoparasitic lifestyle, complete reliance on host resources, and the ability to form specialized haustoria that integrate with the host vascular system provide a tractable system for studying host‑parasite interactions. Researchers use C. campestris to explore host‑specificity, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of haustorial initiation and penetration, and the regulation of gene expression during parasitism. The species has been the subject of studies on the evolution of reduced plastid genomes and the loss of photosynthetic genes, making it valuable for comparative genomics within the genus Cuscuta. Standardized infection assays, histological staining of haustoria, and transcriptomic analyses are routinely performed on this species, and its short annual life cycle facilitates rapid experimental turnover.
Properties relevant to use:
The morphology and physiology of C. campestris underpin its experimental utility. As a holoparasite, it lacks functional chloroplasts and depends entirely on host‑derived carbohydrates, which simplifies nutrient uptake studies. The formation of functional haustoria within days of host contact allows direct observation of invasive structures under microscopy. Its seed germination is triggered by host‑derived cues, enabling controlled infection experiments. The plant’s modest size and ability to complete its life cycle on a wide range of host species make it suitable for greenhouse cultivation and high‑throughput screening of host‑parasite compatibility.
Sustainability and sourcing:
C. campestris can be maintained under controlled greenhouse conditions on standardized host plants, providing a reliable and renewable source of material for research. Field collections are possible in regions where the species occurs naturally, but they must be conducted in accordance with local permitting regulations. Although the species is listed as invasive in several jurisdictions, it is not considered threatened globally. Sustainable sourcing practices involve using laboratory‑grown material rather than wild harvest whenever possible, and routine monitoring of greenhouse cultures ensures that the supply meets experimental demands while minimizing ecological impact.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Epithymum arvense | Nieuwl. & Lunell | Amer. Midl. Naturalist 4: 511 (1916) |
| Cuscuta pentagona var. calycina | Engelm. | Amer. J. Sci. Arts 45: 76 (1843) |
| Grammica campestris | (Yunck.) Hadač & Chrtek | Folia Geobot. Phytotax. Bohemoslov. 5: 445 (1970) |
| Cuscuta arvensis var. calycina | Engelm. | Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 1: 495 (1859) |
| Cuscuta pentagona var. subulata | Yunck. | Amer. J. Bot. 10: 3 (1923) |
| Cuscuta arvensis | Beyrich ex Hook. | Fl. Bor.-Amer. (Hooker) 2(8): 77. 1837 [Jul 1837] |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | golden dodder |
| English | field dodder |
| Afrikaans | gewone dodder |
| Arabic | حامول مرجي |
| Belarusian | павітуха палявая |
| Catalan | serpeta |
| Czech | kokotice ladní |
| Welsh | llindag melyn |
| German | grosse kleeseide |
| German | nordamerikanische seide |
| Estonian | põldvõrm |
| Persian | سس رایج |
| Finnish | amerikanvieras |
| French | cuscute champêtre |
| Hebrew | כשות השדות |
| Hungarian | nagy aranka |
| Lithuanian | dirvinis brantas |
| Dutch | veldwarkruid |
| Polish | kanianka polna |
| Swedish | amerikansk grovsnärja |
| Chinese | 平原菟丝子 |
| Chinese | 平原菟絲子 |
| Chinese | 原野菟丝子 |
| Chinese | 田野菟丝子 |
| Zulu | umankunkunku |
| Zulu | unyendenyende |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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East Tropical Africa
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Uganda
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Macaronesia
- Canary Islands
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Northeast Tropical Africa
- Chad
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Somalia
- Sudan
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Northern Africa
- Egypt
- Morocco
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South Tropical Africa
- Mozambique
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
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Southern Africa
- Botswana
- Cape Provinces
- Free State
- Kwazulu-Natal
- Lesotho
- Northern Provinces
- Swaziland
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West Tropical Africa
- Guinea
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Cameroon
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Western Indian Ocean
- Comoros
- Madagascar
- Mauritius
- Réunion
- Seychelles
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East Tropical Africa
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Arabian Peninsula
- Yemen
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Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
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China
- China Southeast
- Xinjiang
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Eastern Asia
- Japan
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Middle Asia
- Kirgizstan
- Tadzhikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
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Russian Far East
- Khabarovsk
- Primorye
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Siberia
- Chita
- West Siberia
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Western Asia
- Afghanistan
- Cyprus
- East Aegean Islands
- Iran
- Lebanon-Syria
- Palestine
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Arabian Peninsula
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- Assam
- Bangladesh
- East Himalaya
- India
- Sri Lanka
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Indo-China
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- Vietnam
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Malesia
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Indian Subcontinent
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Australasia click to expand
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Australia
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
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New Zealand
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Australia
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Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Belarus
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Middle Europe
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czechoslovakia
- Germany
- Hungary
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Switzerland
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Northern Europe
- Great Britain
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Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Italy
- Romania
- Turkey-in-Europe
- Yugoslavia
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Southwestern Europe
- Baleares
- France
- Portugal
- Sardegna
- Spain
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- Québec
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Mexico
- Mexico Central
- Mexico Northeast
- Mexico Northwest
- Mexico Southwest
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Minnesota
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
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Northwestern U.S.A.
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South-central U.S.A.
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Southeastern U.S.A.
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- Delaware
- District Of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
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- Maryland
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Southwestern U.S.A.
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Western Canada
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- Saskatchewan
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Eastern Canada
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Pacific click to expand
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North-central Pacific
- Hawaii
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Northwestern Pacific
- Caroline Islands
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South-central Pacific
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Southwestern Pacific
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North-central Pacific
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Southern America click to expand
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Caribbean
- Bahamas
- Cuba
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- Haiti
- Jamaica
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- Puerto Rico
- Trinidad-Tobago
- Windward Islands
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Central America
- Guatemala
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Northern South America
- Venezuela
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Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
- Argentina Northwest
- Argentina South
- Chile Central
- Chile North
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
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Western South America
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Galápagos
- Peru
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Caribbean
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0001297200 |
| Flora of Alabama | 1678 |
| Canadensys | 9706 |
| Tropicos | 8500663 |
| INPN | 93613 |
| Flora of Italy | 4196 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:72786-2 |
| The Plant List | tro-8500663 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 839684 |
| Observations.org | 6668 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 132261 |
| NBN Atlas | NHMSYS0000457774 |
| IPNI | 72786-2 |
| iNaturalist | 76545 |
| GBIF | 3610757 |
| Freebase | /m/047lbz4 |
| EPPO | CVCCA |
| EOL | 1246825 |
| Elurikkus | 4174 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 10823 |
| USDA GRIN | 311577 |
| Wikipedia | Cuscuta_campestris |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_052055255.1 | Cuca_doddi_1.0 | Chromosome | Pennsylvania State University | 2025-08-15 | 30 | 481.99 Mb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Long-chain fatty acids | |||||
| Oleic Acid | 445639 | Click to see | 282.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(77)84040-5 |
| Stearic Acid | 5281 | Click to see | 284.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(77)84040-5 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Lineolic acids and derivatives | |||||
| Elaidolinolenic acid | 5282822 | Click to see | 278.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(77)84040-5 |
| Linoleic Acid | 5280450 | Click to see CCCCCC=CCC=CCCCCCCCC(=O)O | 280.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(77)84040-5 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Cholestane steroids / Cholesterols and derivatives | |||||
| Cholesterol | 5997 | Click to see | 386.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(77)84040-5 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Cycloartanols and derivatives | |||||
| Cycloartenol | 92110 | Click to see CC(CCC=C(C)C)C1CCC2(C1(CCC34C2CCC5C3(C4)CCC(C5(C)C)O)C)C | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(77)84040-5 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Ergostane steroids / Ergosterols and derivatives | |||||
| (24R)-5-Ergosten-3beta-ol | 312822 | Click to see | 400.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(77)84040-5 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| Stigmast-5-en-3-ol | 22012 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(77)84040-5 |
| Stigmasterol | 5280794 | Click to see | 412.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(77)84040-5 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Alcohols and polyols / Cyclitols and derivatives / Quinic acids and derivatives | |||||
| 3,4-Dicaffeoylquinic acid | 6474309 | Click to see | 516.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-1978(97)00015-X |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols | |||||
| Quercetin | 5280343 | Click to see | 302.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-1978(97)00015-X |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |