Alfalfa dodder vs Greater dodder

Cuscuta approximata compared with Cuscuta europaea

Key Differences

• Alfalfa dodder is Not Evaluated while Greater dodder is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alfalfa dodder	Greater dodder
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Solanales (Solanales)	Solanales (Solanales)
Family same	Convolvulaceae	Convolvulaceae
Genus same	Cuscuta	Cuscuta
Species	Cuscuta approximata	Cuscuta europaea

Evolutionary Relationship

Alfalfa dodder and Greater dodder share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Cuscuta.

Conservation Status

Alfalfa dodder

NE — Not Evaluated

Greater dodder

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alfalfa dodder	Greater dodder
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alfalfa dodder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (China, Tajikistan), Europe (Hungary, Sweden), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia).

Greater dodder

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Bhutan, Turkey), Europe (5 countries), and North America (United States).

Alfalfa dodder

The Alfalfa dodder (Cuscuta approximata) is a species in the genus Cuscuta. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States