Dodder laurel, Love vine, Bush dodder
Cassytha flava
Family: Lauraceae
What it is like
A twining plant. The stems are greenish-brown to yellow-orange. Plants have small suckers along the stem which attach to trees. The leaves are very small and scale like. The flowers are yellow. The fruit have a succulent outer part. There is one seed inside. The fruit are 6-7 mm long. The fruit are edible.
There are 15-20 Cassytha species. Sometimes they are in the family Cassythaceae.
Where it is found
It grows in warm temperate places. It is usually in areas with winter rain.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia (country/location of origin)
How it is used for food
CAUTION: The fruit contain small quantities of a poisonous alkaloid and should not be eaten in large quantities. The alkaloid can cause abortion and should not therefore be eaten by pregnant women.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Seeds germinate on the ground but then parasitise trees.