Cuscuta reflexa
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64405b98d389d033576029 |
| Scientific name | Cuscuta reflexa |
| Authority | Roxb. |
| First published in | Pl. Coromandel 2: 3 (1799) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Ethnobotanical Uses
In the Chaurang Dhar Valley of the Western Himalaya, an infusion or decoction of the whole plant or aerial stems is taken as a diuretic and tonic according to Gaur (1999). Among healers in Madhya Pradesh, a warm decoction made from leaves and stems is given for fevers and respiratory complaints (Munda et al., 2018). In Kerala’s Mullaperiyar forests, the Murasi community prepares a leaf infusion for cough and cold; they also report a weak leaf decoction for fevers (Haridas et al., 2013). These records all involve water-based preparations, with the aerial stems and leaves most frequently specified.
A practical preparation for a mild, water-based winter tea is as follows: use 2–3 g (about 1 small handful) of dried stems and leaves, add 250–300 ml of water, bring to a gentle simmer for 10–12 minutes, then steep for 10 minutes and strain. Drink 1 small cup (about 150–200 ml) 1–2 times daily for cough or congestion, warm and not boiling hot. Do not exceed 3–4 g of dried material per day in water-based preparations, and avoid use during pregnancy or while nursing unless advised by a qualified practitioner. If any rash, nausea, or unusual symptoms occur, discontinue use and consult a healthcare professional.
The aerial stems and leaves contain flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol glycosides, along with luteolin derivatives and occasional alkaloids, with variations likely influenced by host plants (Haridas et al., 2013). These constituents are well documented in Cuscuta reflexa and plausibly support the mild diuretic, anti‑inflammatory, and antioxidant activities attributed to the infusions.
Modern relevance remains modest: small‑scale field studies and local herbal practice continue in Kerala and central India (Munda et al., 2018; Haridas et al., 2013), with some commercial supply of dried stems and leaves in niche herbal markets, while scientific interest in species‑level chemistry and safe use continues to grow.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Cuscuta reflexa is principally supplied to scientific institutions as a laboratory model organism for the study of obligate plant parasitism. Whole plants or sterile seedlings are provided by botanical culture collections for experiments on haustorial development, host‑parasite signaling, and comparative genomics. In addition, isolated stem segments and cultured callus are sold as experimental material for RNA interference, CRISPR/Cas‑mediated gene editing, and transcriptomic analyses of parasitic plants.
Properties relevant to use:
The species possesses several traits that make it amenable to laboratory manipulation. Its stems lack true roots, consist of highly reduced vascular tissue, and retain the ability to form functional haustoria on a broad range of host species, enabling controlled infection assays. C. reflexa exhibits rapid vegetative growth under controlled conditions, allowing multiple generations within weeks. The plant is readily regenerated from tissue culture, facilitating stable transformation and the production of transformed lines. Its relatively small nuclear genome (approximately 300–350 Mb) and the availability of a draft reference assembly in public databases (e.g., NCBI, Phytozome, EnsemblPlants) support comparative and functional genomics. The stem tissue contains high water content and a low lignin‑to‑cellulose ratio, which facilitates efficient protoplast isolation and enzyme treatments required for molecular work. These physical and genomic attributes enable the plant to serve as a standard experimental platform for investigating the mechanisms of plant parasitism.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Because C. reflexa is a parasitic weed, it is not harvested from natural populations for commercial purposes. Sustainable laboratory supply relies on greenhouse or growth‑chamber cultivation under controlled, aseptic conditions, with seed or vegetative material propagated from verified, disease‑free cultures. Major botanical repositories maintain authenticated accessions, ensuring traceability and genetic integrity for research use. No regulatory framework specifically governs the commercial trade of this species, as it is not listed among regulated plant imports; however, transport follows general phytosanitary guidelines for plant material.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Kadurias reflexa | Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 4: 91 (1838) |
| Monogynella reflexa | (Roxb.) Holub | Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 12: 429 (1977) |
| Cuscuta reflexa var. grandiflora | Engelm. | Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 1: 518. 1859 |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | common dodder |
| English | giant dodder |
| Arabic | حامول منعكس |
| Bengali | স্বর্নলতা |
| Malayalam | ആകാശവല്ലി |
| Malayalam | മൂടില്ലാത്താളി |
| Malayalam | മൂടില്ലാതാളി |
| Marathi | अमरवेल |
| Nepali | आकाशबेली |
| Tamil | கொடியார் கூந்தல் |
| Chinese | 大花菟絲子 |
| Chinese | 菟丝 |
| Chinese | 黄藤草 |
| Chinese | 蛇系腰 |
| Chinese | 红无娘藤 |
| Chinese | 无根花 |
| Chinese | 云南菟丝子 |
| Chinese | 大花菟丝子 |
| Chinese | 金丝藤 |
| Chinese | 无娘藤 |
| Chinese | 菟丝子 |
Varieties (abbr. var.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Cuscuta reflexa var. anguina | (Edgew.) C.B.Clarke | Fl. Brit. India 4: 226. 1883 |
| Cuscuta reflexa var. brachystigma | Engelm. | Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 1: 519 (1859) |
| Cuscuta reflexa var. reflexa |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
Western Indian Ocean
- Mauritius
-
Western Indian Ocean
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
China
- China South-central
- China Southeast
- Tibet
-
Western Asia
- Afghanistan
-
China
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- Assam
- Bangladesh
- East Himalaya
- India
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
- West Himalaya
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Indo-China
- Laos
- Myanmar
- Thailand
- Vietnam
-
Malesia
- Jawa
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Indian Subcontinent
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0001296658 |
| UNII | 7317415HFO |
| USDA Plants | CURE |
| Tropicos | 8500037 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:267630-1 |
| The Plant List | tro-8500037 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 1071026 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 4129 |
| IUCN Red List | 174410762 |
| IPNI | 267630-1 |
| iNaturalist | 76554 |
| GBIF | 2927545 |
| EPPO | CVCRE |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 8536 |
| USDA GRIN | 318333 |
| Wikipedia | Cuscuta_reflexa |
| CMAUP | NPO8884 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| Alpha-Amyrin | 73170 | Click to see | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3109/13880209209054017 |
| Beta-Amyrin | 73145 | Click to see CC1(CCC2(CCC3(C(=CCC4C3(CCC5C4(CCC(C5(C)C)O)C)C)C2C1)C)C)C | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3109/13880209209054017 |
| Lupeol | 259846 | Click to see CC(=C)C1CCC2(C1C3CCC4C5(CCC(C(C5CCC4(C3(CC2)C)C)(C)C)O)C)C | 426.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3109/13880209209054017 |
| Oleanolic Acid | 10494 | Click to see | 456.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3109/13880209209054017 |
| Oleanolic acid acetate | 6708573 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CCC2(C(C1(C)C)CCC3(C2CC=C4C3(CCC5(C4CC(CC5)(C)C)C(=O)O)C)C)C | 498.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3109/13880209209054017 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| Stigmasterol | 5280794 | Click to see | 412.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.3109/13880209209054017 |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Alpha amino acids and derivatives | |||||
| Guanidinoacetic Acid | 763 | Click to see | 117.11 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Alpha amino acids and derivatives / Alpha amino acids / L-alpha-amino acids | |||||
| L-Arginine | 6322 | Click to see | 174.20 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Lysine zwitterion | 122198194 | Click to see | 146.19 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Alpha amino acids and derivatives / Histidine and derivatives | |||||
| (2S)-2-ammonio-3-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)propanoate | 6971009 | Click to see | 155.15 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic nitrogen compounds / Organonitrogen compounds / Amines / Primary amines / 2-arylethylamines | |||||
| Histamine | 774 | Click to see | 111.15 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic nitrogen compounds / Organonitrogen compounds / Amines / Primary amines / Monoalkylamines | |||||
| Ethylamine | 6341 | Click to see CCN | 45.08 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Isoamylamine | 7894 | Click to see CC(C)CCN | 87.16 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Propylamine | 7852 | Click to see | 59.11 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Putrescine | 1045 | Click to see | 88.15 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic nitrogen compounds / Organonitrogen compounds / Amines / Secondary amines / Dialkylamines | |||||
| Dimethylamine | 674 | Click to see CNC | 45.08 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic nitrogen compounds / Organonitrogen compounds / Amines / Tertiary amines / Trialkylamines | |||||
| Trimethylamine | 1146 | Click to see CN(C)C | 59.11 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic nitrogen compounds / Organonitrogen compounds / Guanidines | |||||
| Agmatine | 199 | Click to see | 130.19 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Guanidine | 3520 | Click to see | 59.07 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic nitrogen compounds / Organonitrogen compounds / Quaternary ammonium salts / Cholines | |||||
| Choline | 305 | Click to see | 104.17 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Alcohols and polyols / Cyclitols and derivatives / Quinic acids and derivatives | |||||
| (1S)-3,4-bis[3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyloxy]-1,5-dihydroxycyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid | 129316855 | Click to see | 516.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1177/095632029700800108 |
| 1,3,4,5-Tetrahydroxycyclohexanecarboxylic acid | 1064 | Click to see | 192.17 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1177/095632029700800108 |
| Chlorogenic Acid | 1794427 | Click to see C1C(C(C(CC1(C(=O)O)O)OC(=O)C=CC2=CC(=C(C=C2)O)O)O)O | 354.31 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1177/095632029700800108 https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(95)93846-U |
| Quinic acid | 6508 | Click to see C1C(C(C(CC1(C(=O)O)O)O)O)O | 192.17 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1177/095632029700800108 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Glycosyl compounds / Phenolic glycosides | |||||
| (3S,4R,6S)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[4-[(E)-3-hydroxyprop-1-enyl]-2,6-dimethoxyphenoxy]oxane-3,4,5-triol | 24847743 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1OC2C(C(C(C(O2)CO)O)O)O)OC)C=CCO | 372.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Azoles / Imidazoles / Substituted imidazoles / Imidazolyl carboxylic acids and derivatives | |||||
| (S)-2-hydroxy-3-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)propanoic acid | 440129 | Click to see C1=C(NC=N1)CC(C(=O)O)O | 156.14 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| CID 28305488 | 28305488 | Click to see | 126.11 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Urocanic acid | 736715 | Click to see C1=C(NC=N1)C=CC(=O)O | 138.12 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Cinnamic acids and derivatives / Hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives | |||||
| Cuscuta propenamide 1 | 10403282 | Click to see | 313.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.50.112 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives | |||||
| 6,7,8-Trimethoxycoumarin | 3083928 | Click to see | 236.22 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.50.112 |
| Scoparone | 8417 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C2C(=C1)C=CC(=O)O2)OC | 206.19 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / Flavanones / Flavanonols | |||||
| 3,5,7-Trihydroxy-2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)Chroman-4-One | 662 | Click to see | 288.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1177/095632029700800108 |
| Aromadendrin | 122850 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O)O | 288.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1177/095632029700800108 |
| Taxifolin | 439533 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O)O)O | 304.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1177/095632029700800108 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols | |||||
| Quercetin | 5280343 | Click to see | 302.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(95)93846-U |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-7-O-glycosides | |||||
| (2S)-5-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-7-[(2R,3S,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-2,3-dihydrochromen-4-one | 124300887 | Click to see | 434.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1177/095632029700800108 |
| Coccinoside B | 42607844 | Click to see C1C(OC2=CC(=CC(=C2C1=O)O)OC3C(C(C(C(O3)CO)O)O)O)C4=C(C=CC(=C4)O)O | 450.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1177/095632029700800108 |
| Prunin | 92794 | Click to see C1C(OC2=CC(=CC(=C2C1=O)O)OC3C(C(C(C(O3)CO)O)O)O)C4=CC=C(C=C4)O | 434.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1177/095632029700800108 |
| Taxifolin 7-glucoside | 14282775 | Click to see | 466.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1177/095632029700800108 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |