Alfalfa dodder vs Button Dodder

Cuscuta approximata compared with Cuscuta cephalanthi

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alfalfa dodder	Button 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 cephalanthi

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Alfalfa dodder

NE — Not Evaluated

Button Dodder

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alfalfa dodder	Button 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).

Button Dodder

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Canada and 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.

Button Dodder

The Button Dodder (Cuscuta cephalanthi) 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:

🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 United States