230 



BOTANY 



I'AIIT I 



whence they send out at intervals tlu-ir extraordinary flowers. In the case of 

 Pilosti/les, a parasite which lives on some shrubby Leguminosae, the whole 

 vegetative body is broken up into .filaments of cells which penetrate the host 

 plant like the mycelium of a fungus. The flowers alone become visible and 

 protrude from the stems and leaf-stalks of the host plant (Fig. 203) ( 4S ). 



Flo. 203. Branch of a leguminous plant from the surface of which the flowers of a parasitic 

 plant (Pilostyles Ulei, Solir.s) art- protiudinu. (From GOEBEL'S Organogm.plni.) 



In contrast to these parasites, which have come to be absolutely 

 dependent upon other plants for their nourishment, there are certain 

 parasites which, to judge by external appearances, seem to be quite 

 independent, for they possess large green leaves with which they are 

 able to assimilate vigorous!}'. In spite of this, however, the plants 

 only develop normally, when their root system is in connection with 

 the roots of other plants by means of disc-shaped haustoria. They 

 may even (as is also the case with Cuscuta) enter into this relation 



