Cassytha pubescens
R.Br. Downy Dodder-laurelWeak to robust twiner, younger parts retrorsely pubescent or woolly, hairs white or red; stems terete, mostly 0.5–1.5 mm thick, striate, pubescent to glabrescent, yellow-green to reddish; haustoria 2–3 mm long. Leaves triangular-ovate, 1.5–4 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, woolly to glabrescent. Inflorescence a single, or often paired, 2–10-flowered congested spike to c. 25 mm long, lower flowers sometimes distant; peduncle usually 2–10 mm long. Flowers ovoid to obovoid, 1–3 mm long, 1–2 mm diam., subsessile to sessile; sepals more or less triangular, 0.7–1 mm long, covered with long reddish or whitish hairs; petals ovate to obovate, 1–2 mm long, c. 1.3 mm wide, covered with patent or appressed grey, black, yellow or red hairs. Fruit ovoid to globular, 6–9 mm long, 5.5–9 mm diam., smooth, white-pubescent. Flowers mostly summer.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, HFE, VAlp. Also SA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Tas. Widespread and common throughout most of the State, particularly in lowland open-forest where often abundant following bushfire.
Jeanes, J.A. (1996). Lauraceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 26–30. Inkata Press, Melbourne.