Cuscuta pentagona is a parasitic plant which is placed in the family Convolvulaceae, but was formerly classified in the family Cuscutaceae. It is a parasite of a wide range of herbaceous plants but is most important as a pest of lucerne and other legumes.
It is native to the USA, and unlike the closely related C. campestris has not become established in other countries [1].
References
^ Costea, M., Nesom, G.L. & Stefanovic, S. (2006) Taxonomy of the Cuscuta pentagona complex (Convolvulaceae) in North America. Sida 22(1): 151-175.
