Cuscuta chinensis

Cuscuta chinensis is also known as Chinese dodder. It belongs to Convolvulaceae, the bindweed family. Kew lists it as a plant of subtropical climates. It is native to parts of Africa, Madagascar, and Asia. Its native range also covers northern and eastern Australia. In North America, it grows in the southwestern United States. Its range spans the south-central United States and reaches into Mexico. The RHS says it is not native to Britain or Ireland.

This plant gets all its nutrients from a host plant. Plants For A Future says it lacks leaves and roots. It also lacks chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants. Its stems use feeding suckers to grip other plants. These suckers enter the host and draw out nutrients. Kew calls it an annual, which lives for one year. Plants For A Future calls it perennial, living for several years. Thus, the sources disagree on how long it lives. They give no reliable height or spread at full growth. Nor do they describe bark, flower colour, or fruit shape. The flowers have both male and female organs.

Chinese dodder grows in fields, thickets, and open mountain sites. It grows on sandy beaches and near shores in Japan, too. In China, records reach about 9,840 feet [3,000 metres] above sea level. Plants For A Future says it prefers moist soil. It accepts sand, loam, and clay soils. The soil can be mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline. It can grow in part shade or full sun. How much cold it can bear in Britain remains unclear. Plants For A Future suggests that milder areas may suit it.

To grow, it needs a suitable living host close by. Hosts include plants in the pea and daisy families. Plants For A Future also names the family Zygophyllaceae. It says to sow fresh seed in autumn. Place seed among the host's stems, not on its own. The source lists cultivated beds as a place to grow it. It gives no further landscape role or details on pests or disease.

Plants For A Future lists no known food uses. It notes past use of stems and seeds as medicines. People used stem lotions for head and eye complaints. They used seeds in herb blends for several other ailments. These records of past use do not prove any benefit. The source lists no known hazards. This does not mean the plant is safe. It lists no other uses.