Ultraviolet Flowers: Cuscuta europaea ssp. halophyta

Cuscuta europaea L. ssp. halophyta (Fr.)Hartm.

Convolvulaceae

Visible light

Cuscuta europaea ssp. halophyta. UV light

UV light
(U-360 + BG-38, SB-140)

Both images: Nikon D70 @800 ISO, EL-Nikkor 63 mm f/3.5 with Novoflex Bellows (3:1 magnification)

This parasitic species, Greater Dodder, tends to occur very intermittent in my area and I have been on the outlook for it for several years to no avail. Recently however, by a stroke of luck I ended up shooting the even rarer, Fennoscandian endemic race (ssp. halophyta) of the Greater Dodder for my UV flower series. Sometimes you get more than you have bargained for.

The small, almost porcelaine-delicate corolla of the Dodder absorbs UV light strongly, so is rendered almost black with UV photography. The anthers and stigma tend to fluoresce under UV light and so does indeed the outside of the not yet opened flowers, too.