Taxon: Cuscuta pentagona Engelm.

Summary

Genus:

Cuscuta

Family:

Convolvulaceae

Tribe:

Cuscuteae

Nomen number:

12687

Place of publication:

Amer. J. Sci. Arts 43:340, t. 6, figs. 22-24. 1842

Protologue link:

https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15903040

Verified:

09/07/2004 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

1 (1 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Autonym(s)
Cuscuta pentagona Engelm. var. pentagona

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Cuscuta arvensis Beyr. ex Engelm. var. pentagona (Engelm.) Engelm.

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Cuscuta arvensis Beyr. ex Engelm.
Cuscuta arvensis Beyr. ex Engelm. var. arvensis

Images (2 total. Click on image for more.)

Links

Forestry Images – from www.forestryimages.org
Forestry Images – from www.forestryimages.org

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Browne, E. T. & R. Athey. 1992. Vascular plants of Kentucky: an annotated checklist
Cabrera, A. L. & E. M. Zardini. 1978. Manual de la flora de los alrededores de Buenos Aires.
Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
Costea, M. Digital atlas of Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae)(on-line resource).
Cronquist, A. et al. 1972-. Intermountain flora.
Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ed. 2
Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Kartesz, J. T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland.
Mitchell, R. S., ed. 1986. A checklist of New York state plants. New York State Mus. Bull. 458
Munz, P. A. & D. D. Keck. 1959. A California flora.
Munz, P. A. 1974. A flora of southern California.
Musselman, L. J. 1986. The genus Cuscuta in Virginia. Castanea 51:188-196.
Musselman, L. J. 1996. Parasitic weeds in the Southern United States. Castanea 61:271-292. Note: this article cites in page 286 humans as main dispersers of parasatic seeds, especially during seed shipments as in the case of Cuscuta pentagona and other species
Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
Steyermark, J. A. 1977. Flora of Missouri.
Strausbaugh, T. D. & E. L. Core. 1978. Flora of West Virginia, ed. 2.
Voss, E. 1972-. Michigan flora.
Wherry, E. T. et al. 1979. Atlas of the flora of Pennsylvania.
Wunderlin, R. P. 1998. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida
Yuncker, T. G. 1965. Cuscuta. In: Britton, N. L. et al., eds. ser. 1; C. T. Rogerson, ed. ser. 2, North American flora ser. 2, 4:5. Note: ser. 1, 1905-1957; ser. 2, 1954-1972

Common names

Language	Name	Alternate name	note	seq	Citation
English	five-angle dodder			1	Strausbaugh, T. D. & E. L. Core. 1978. Flora of West Virginia, ed. 2.

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Illinois		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Kansas		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Minnesota		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Missouri		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	North Dakota		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Indiana		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Massachusetts		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Michigan		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Jersey		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New York		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Ohio
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Pennsylvania		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Chihuahua
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sonora	n.
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Montana		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Washington		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Alabama		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Arkansas		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Delaware		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	District of Columbia		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Georgia		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maryland		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Mississippi		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	North Carolina		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	South Carolina		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Tennessee		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Virginia		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.
1	Native	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	Manitoba		Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.

Native
Northern America

WESTERN CANADA: Canada [Manitoba]
NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania]
NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota]
NORTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Montana, Washington]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, District of Columbia]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Texas]
NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Chihuahua, Sonora (n.)]

Reference(s)

Costea, M. et al. 2006. Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22:151-175.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Weed	parasite	of alfalfa, tomato, basil	Musselman, L. J. 1996. Parasitic weeds in the Southern United States. Castanea 61:271-292. Note: this article cites in page 286 humans as main dispersers of parasatic seeds, especially during seed shipments as in the case of Cuscuta pentagona and other species
Weed	seed contaminant	of highbush blueberry	Musselman, L. J. 1996. Parasitic weeds in the Southern United States. Castanea 61:271-292. Note: this article cites in page 286 humans as main dispersers of parasatic seeds, especially during seed shipments as in the case of Cuscuta pentagona and other species

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=12687. Accessed 11 May 2026.