Small-tooth dodder

Stems light yellow, filiform. Inflorescences dense, glomeru­late; bracts at base of clusters, pedicels, and/or flowers 1–3, subround, ovate, or rhombic to ovate-lanceolate, membranous, margins entire or denticulate, apex acute to obtuse. Pedicels (0–)0.5–2.2 mm. Flowers (4 or)5-merous, 2–3 mm, membranous, not papillate; calyx straw yellow, campanulate to urceolate, equaling corolla tube length or nearly so, divided 2/3 its length, reticulate and shiny, lobes obovate-orbiculate, bases overlapping, margins denticulate, midvein not carinate, apex rounded; corolla white, drying straw yellow, 1.6–2.6 mm, tube campanulate, 0.6–1.5 mm, not saccate, lobes reflexed, ovate to broadly elliptic, equaling corolla tube length, margins irregularly denticulate, apex rounded, straight; infrastaminal scales ovate to oblong, 0.6–1.4 mm, equaling corolla tube length, bridged at 0.4–0.6 mm, rounded to truncate, uniformly denticulate or short-fimbriate, fimbriae 0.05–0.1 mm; stamens included to slightly exserted, shorter than corolla lobes; filaments 0.2–0.4 mm; anthers 0.2–0.4 × 0.3–0.3 mm; styles filiform, 0.3–0.5 mm, shorter than ovary. Cap­sules globose-ovoid, 1.3–2.1 × 1–2 mm, not thickened or raised around inconspicuous interstylar aperture, translucent, capped by withered corolla, indehiscent. Seeds 1, not angled or obcompressed or globose to globose-ovoid, 0.8–1.1 × 0.8–1.1 mm, hilum region terminal; embryo enlarged-globose at base. 2n = 30.

Flowering Mar–Oct(–Dec). Hosts: especially Chrys­othamnus and Larrea; also Ambrosia, Artemisia, Atriplex, Bebbia, Coleogyne, Covillea, Ericameria, Eriogonum, Euphorbia, Gutierrezia, Lepidospartum, Lycium, Psorothamnus, and other desert plants; 200–2000 m; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Nev., Utah, Wash.; Mexico (Baja California).