Common Dodder vs 云雀

Cuscuta gronovii compared with Alauda arvensis

Key Differences

Common Dodder is Least Concern while 云雀 is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Dodder	云雀
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)	Passeriformes (雀形目)
Family	Convolvulaceae	Alaudidae
Genus	Cuscuta	Alauda
Species	Cuscuta gronovii	Alauda arvensis

Conservation Status

Common Dodder

LC — Least Concern

云雀

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Dodder	云雀
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).

云雀

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests spanning the Australasia and Oceanian realms.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

云雀

云雀（Alauda arvensis）以飞行中歌唱的复杂悦耳鸣声在欧洲文学和诗歌中广受赞誉。它们在欧洲和亚洲的开阔农田、草地和荒野上空垂直飞翔数百米，同时发出长达一小时的连续鸣唱。雄鸟可发出700多种独特的鸣唱短句。曾经在欧洲农田中极为丰富的云雀，由于农业集约化，自1970年以来种群数量已下降70%以上。