Clover Dodder vs 緋紅麥鷍

Cuscuta epithymum compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

Clover Dodder is Endangered while 緋紅麥鷍 is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clover Dodder	緋紅麥鷍
Kingdom	Plantae (植物)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (木兰植物门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Magnoliopsida (木兰纲)	Aves (鳥綱)
Order	Solanales (茄目)	Psittaciformes (鹦形目)
Family	Convolvulaceae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Cuscuta	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Cuscuta epithymum	Ara macao

Conservation Status

Clover Dodder

EN — Endangered

緋紅麥鷍

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clover Dodder	緋紅麥鷍
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clover Dodder

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, montane grasslands and shrublands, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Europe (9 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Argentina, Venezuela). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

緋紅麥鷍

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Population trends indicate a declining trajectory in parts of its range.

Clover Dodder

Clover dodder (Cuscuta epithymum) is a parasitic flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, a leafless, twining vine that obtains all its water and nutrients from host plants via haustoria — specialized penetrating organs that connect to host vascular tissue. The species is almost entirely dependent on its hosts throughout its life, with only brief photosynthetic activity during germination before establishing parasitic connections. C. epithymum parasitizes a wide range of host species including clover (Trifolium), gorse (Ulex), heathers (Erica, Calluna), thyme (Thymus), and other plants in open heathland, grassland, and scrub habitats. The stems are thread-like, yellowish-pink or reddish, and support clusters of small white to pale pink flowers. Originally widespread across Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Americas, the species has declined significantly in many parts of its range due to agricultural intensification, herbicide application, grassland conversion, and loss of semi-natural heathlands. It is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, reflecting population decline across its European core range. Conservation of C. epithymum requires the maintenance of unimproved, low-nutrient grasslands and heathlands that support its diverse host plant communities. The species is recorded from Africa, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America, though populations in some regions represent introductions associated with contaminated legume seed lots.

緋紅麥鷍

绯红金刚鹦鹉(Ara macao)是美洲色彩最为绚丽的鸟类之一，拥有鲜艳的红、黄、蓝羽毛，翼展可达1米。分布于墨西哥至玻利维亚的湿润低地森林，智力高超，寿命可达75年，并终生保持配对关系。它们会长途跋涉前往富含矿物质的土壤地点，通过摄入土壤来中和种子中的毒素。被列为无危，但因栖息地丧失和宠物贸易而在局部地区受到威胁。