Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Share

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Cuscuta sandwichiana

Cuscuta sandwichiana Choisy

Hawaiian Dodder, Kahakai, Kauna'oa, Kaunaoa Lei, Kaunoa, Pololo

Cuscutaceae (Dodder family)

Synonym(s): Cuscuta sandwichiana var. kailuana

USDA Symbol: CUSA2

USDA Native Status: HI (N)

Cuscuta spp. are parasitic on a variety of other plants.

 

From the Image Gallery

No images of this plant

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb , Vine
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Scrambling over or twining around host plants, resembling a tangle of yellowish orange string.
Leaf: Leaves of Cuscuta spp. may be absent, or so small and scale-like that they go unnoticed.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov , Dec

Distribution

USA: HI
Native Habitat: Coastal areas, often in sandy soil, parasitic on a wide variety of herbs and shrubs.

Bibliography

Bibref 1798 - Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii, Revised Edition (1999) Wagner, W.L.; Herbst, D.R.; Sohmer, S.H.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 45 - Canadensys - Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN) (2011) Canadensys
Webref 43 - Hawaiian Native Plant Genera (2006) University of Hawaii
Webref 31 - Native Plants Hawai’i (2018) University of Hawaii

Additional resources

USDA: Find Cuscuta sandwichiana in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Cuscuta sandwichiana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Cuscuta sandwichiana

Metadata

Record Modified: 2020-12-21
Research By: CBR

Go back