134 Rhodora [JuLy 
Dr. R. J. Haskell informed me that the files of the Plant Disease 
Survey Office contain no record of Orobanche ramosa L. on Coleus, 
nor does the herbarium of the Pathological Collections in the Bureau 
of Plant Industry contain any specimens of it. The only specimens of 
Orobanche ramosa L. in the Gray Herbarium! are those on hemp, 
or those with no host reported, from Illinois and Kentucky. This 
species is represented in the National Herbarium? by specimens on 
hemp from Kentucky, Illinois, and California and specimens on 
tobacco and tomato from Kentucky. 
According to Gray’s Manual, Orobanche ramosa L. has been intro- 
duced from Europe. Garman (2) states that it was probably 
imported from China with hemp seeds. The seeds are very small 
and are known to have kept their vitality for 13 years while lying in the 
soil, Garman (2). Immediately after germination the seedlings 
attach themselves to the roots of the host plants. It is possible that 
the infestation of O. ramosa L. on Long Island may have originated 
from seeds that have been introduced recently. However, it is also 
possible that this parasite has been growing unobserved on other 
hosts in the same vicinity and that the seeds were brought into the 
greenhouse with soil or mulch. 
The purpose of this note is to record the occurrence of Orobanche 
ramosa L. on Coleus which is interesting not only because of its 
rarity but also because of the damage it was doing on Coleus in the 
greenhouses. Apparently this is the first record of its occurrence on 
Coleus in North America. The determination of the specimens was 
verified by Dr. K. M. Wiegand, and specimens have been deposited 
in the herbarium of Cornell University and also in the National 
Museum. 
ConNELL UNIVERSITY. 
CITATIONS. 
1. Beck, Gunther, Ritter von Mannagetta. Monographie der Gattung 
Orobanche. 
Bibliotheca Botanica 19: 1-275; Pr. 1-14; Fic. 1-11; 1890. 
2. Garman, II. The Broom-rapes. 
Ky. Agric. Exp. Sta. Bul. 105: 1-32; Fic. 1-15. 1903. 
3. Koch, L. Die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Orobanchen. 389 pp. Pl. 1-12. 
Heidelberg, 1887. 
1 Courtesy of Mr. A. S. Foster. 
? Courtesy of Mr. G. H. Martin. 
