Cassytha glabella
Encyclopedia
Cassytha glabella, commonly known as the Slender Devil's Twine, is a common twining plant of the Laurel family
, found in many of the moister parts of Australia
. A hemi-parasitic
climber. The specific epithet glabella is from Latin
, referring to the lack of hairs. The fruit are sweet and mucousy to taste. The Devil's Twine (Cassytha pubescens
) and Cassytha melantha
are similar, but with thicker (and in the case of the former) hairier stems.
In 1810, this species first appeared in scientific literature, in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, authored by the prolific Scottish botanist, Robert Brown
. Alternate common names include Smooth Cassytha, slender dodder-laurel, tangled dodder-laurel. This and other members of the genus Cassytha
are either classified in their own family Cassythaceae or within the laurel family Lauraceae
.
Two forms are recognized:
A small twining vine, Cassytha glabella has twining stems which are around 0.5 mm in diameter. The haustoria are less than one millimetre long. The leaves are present in the form of tiny scales. The tiny flowers may form at any time of the year, although peak from November to March in the Sydney region. They appear on a short spike 5 to 7 mm long and are stalkless, yellow or white. The fruit is round; green or yellow, sometimes with red markings, hairless, around 3 to 6 mm in diameter. It is juicy and succulent.
The plant begins life when it germinates from the seed in the ground, the vine growing and flailing about before latching onto nearby vegetation. The root then dies and the plant lives by suckering along the stems and branches of plants. Although it resembles the dodders of the genus Cuscuta
, it is unrelated.
Lauraceae
The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...
, found in many of the moister parts of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. A hemi-parasitic
Parasitic plant
A parasitic plant is one that derives some or all of its sustenance from another plant. About 4,100 species in approximately 19 families of flowering plants are known. Parasitic plants have a modified root, the haustorium, that penetrates the host plant and connects to the xylem, phloem, or...
climber. The specific epithet glabella is from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, referring to the lack of hairs. The fruit are sweet and mucousy to taste. The Devil's Twine (Cassytha pubescens
Cassytha pubescens
Cassytha pubescens the Devil's Twine is a common twining plant of the Laurel family, in southern and eastern Australia. A hemi-parasitic climber....
) and Cassytha melantha
Cassytha melantha
Cassytha melantha is a parasitic vine. Common names include Coarse Dodder-laurel and Large Dodder-laurel. The fruits are about 10-15 millimetres in diameter and are green, drying to black...
are similar, but with thicker (and in the case of the former) hairier stems.
In 1810, this species first appeared in scientific literature, in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, authored by the prolific Scottish botanist, Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
. Alternate common names include Smooth Cassytha, slender dodder-laurel, tangled dodder-laurel. This and other members of the genus Cassytha
Cassytha
Cassytha L. is a genus of 17 species of parasitic vines in the family Lauraceae, mainly native to Australia, but with a few species in Africa, southern Asia, and one Cassytha L. (1753) is a genus of 17 species of parasitic vines in the family Lauraceae, mainly native to Australia, but with a few...
are either classified in their own family Cassythaceae or within the laurel family Lauraceae
Lauraceae
The Lauraceae or Laurel family comprises a group of flowering plants included in the order Laurales. The family contains about 55 genera and over 3500, perhaps as many as 4000, species world-wide, mostly from warm or tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia and South America...
.
Two forms are recognized:
- Cassytha glabella dispar, which has more elongated fruit, either pear-shaped (pyriform) or spindle-shaped (fusiform).
- Cassytha glabella glabella, which has more oval fruit.
A small twining vine, Cassytha glabella has twining stems which are around 0.5 mm in diameter. The haustoria are less than one millimetre long. The leaves are present in the form of tiny scales. The tiny flowers may form at any time of the year, although peak from November to March in the Sydney region. They appear on a short spike 5 to 7 mm long and are stalkless, yellow or white. The fruit is round; green or yellow, sometimes with red markings, hairless, around 3 to 6 mm in diameter. It is juicy and succulent.
The plant begins life when it germinates from the seed in the ground, the vine growing and flailing about before latching onto nearby vegetation. The root then dies and the plant lives by suckering along the stems and branches of plants. Although it resembles the dodders of the genus Cuscuta
Cuscuta
Cuscuta is a genus of about 100-170 species of yellow, orange or red parasitic plants. Formerly treated as the only genus in the family Cuscutaceae, recent genetic research by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group has shown that it is correctly placed in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae...
, it is unrelated.