Common Dodder vs silfo coliverde

Cuscuta gronovii compared with Aglaiocercus kingii

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Dodder	silfo coliverde
Kingdom	Plantae (planta)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Solanales (Solanales)	Apodiformes (Apodiformes)
Family	Convolvulaceae	Trochilidae
Genus	Cuscuta	Aglaiocercus
Species	Cuscuta gronovii	Aglaiocercus kingii

Conservation Status

Common Dodder

LC — Least Concern

silfo coliverde

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Dodder	silfo coliverde
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Dodder

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (11 countries) and North America (United States).

silfo coliverde

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, Norway, and Venezuela.

Common Dodder

<em>Cuscuta gronovii</em>, the common dodder, is a parasitic annual vine in the family Convolvulaceae. This species is distributed across eleven European countries as well as the United States, where it typically inhabits diverse terrestrial environments including wetland margins, roadsides, thickets, and disturbed vegetation. Unlike most plants, <em>Cuscuta gronovii</em> lacks chlorophyll and is entirely dependent on host plants for water and nutrients, which it extracts through specialized structures called haustoria. The common dodder typically has slender, twining orange or yellowish stems and produces small, clustered white or pale pink flowers in late summer. It often parasitizes a broad range of host species, including many herbaceous and shrubby plants. Once attached to a host, it typically sheds its connection to the soil and relies entirely on the host for sustenance. The species is assessed as Least Concern, reflecting its wide distribution and ability to colonize disturbed habitats. Its parasitic life history makes it ecologically notable among flowering plants.

silfo coliverde

El silfo coliazul (Aglaiocercus kingii) es uno de los colibríes con mayor ornamentación, y los machos presentan plumaje verde iridiscente junto con timoneras externas dramáticamente alargadas, en forma de cintas, que alcanzan hasta 22 cm, más de tres veces la longitud del cuerpo. Habita los bosques nublados andinos de Colombia y Venezuela, en bosques montanos húmedos entre los 1.400 y los 2.800 metros de altitud. Los machos realizan elaborados vuelos de exhibición para atraer a las hembras. Sus exuberantes colas son un ejemplo clásico de selección sexual por preferencia femenina.