Cuscuta reflexa aka Giant Dodder

Cuscuta reflexa is known as dodder or giant dodder. It belongs to the bindweed family, Convolvulaceae. Kew places its native range from Afghanistan to Indo-China, including Java. Plants For A Future also lists parts of China and Malaysia. Its range includes India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. The sources differ on its life cycle. Kew calls it an annual; Plants For A Future calls it perennial.

This plant lives by drawing food from a host. Plants For A Future describes it as lacking leaves, roots, and chlorophyll. It depends fully on the plant it attaches to. Suckers enter the host and take up nutrients. In Kashmir, recorded hosts include Desmodium, Rubus, and Viburnum species. There it occurs at elevations of 5,580–9,510 feet [1,700–2,900 metres]. Other recorded hosts include jujube and Vitex negundo. It can kill those two host plants. The supplied species evidence gives no mature height or spread.

Plants For A Future lists both sun and partial shade as suitable. It places the plant in woodland gardens with dappled light. It lists sandy, loamy, and clay soils as suitable. It also gives a range from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. The plant prefers moist soil, but still needs a living host. Its tolerance of British winters remains unclear in that source. One cited account recommends a cool greenhouse in Britain. The source suggests that some high-elevation forms might survive outdoors. It does not confirm that they will do so.

Each flower has both male and female organs. The supplied species evidence gives no flower colour or bloom season. For propagation, Plants For A Future recommends sowing fresh seed in autumn. It places the seed among the stems of a potted host. The recommended setting for this method is a greenhouse. The source flags the species as having weed potential. Its ability to harm hosts limits its garden value.

Plants For A Future records no edible uses or other non-medical uses. It reports traditional medicinal uses for seeds, stems, and the whole plant. These include uses for digestive complaints, fever, pain, and itchy skin. It also records Ayurvedic uses for jaundice and coughs. These reports do not establish safe or effective treatment. The source lists no known hazards, but that does not prove safety.