3 Mr, Ch. C. Babington on some species of Cuscuta. 



tibus apice rotundatis fimbriatis convergentihus basi approximatis, 

 stigmsitihus JUiformibus. (PL I. fig. 2.) 



Calyx bell-sbaped, tbin, sborter tban the tube of tbe corolla, 

 usually tinged with red ; segments broad, ovate- apiculate, longer 

 than their tube. Tube of the corolla cylindrical, rather shorter 

 than the ovate-acute spreading segments of the limb. Anthers 

 roundish-oblong, without an apiculus, and even notched at the 

 end. Corona closely adpressed to the tube of the corolla below ; 

 its processes (usually called ^^ scales ^^) nearly as long as the tube 

 of the corolla, broad, rounded, fimbriated and converging at the 

 end, scarcely narrowed below, separated from each other by deep 

 narrow interspaces, which are not rounded at the bottom, and the 

 membrane at that point is closely adpressed to the corolla. Occa- 

 sionally, as in some specimens from Norfolk, the divisions between 

 the processes disappear, and the corona becomes a deeply-lobed 

 membrane, the lobes of which exactly resemble the upper parts 

 of the usual processes, and are fringed almost to their base, the 

 line of connexion between the corona and corolla remaining un- 

 altered. In one instance this change had extended still further, 

 and a rounded emarginate projection occupied the place of the 

 usual division, having down its centre an appearance of being 

 thickened : unfortunately this curious specimen has been lost 

 during its transmission for the inspection of a friend. '' Germen 

 spherical.^' Stigmas simple. 



The figures and descriptions of C. Epithymum difier so much 

 from each other that I have considered it advisable to omit all 

 synonyms, and give the authority for the name (Murray in Linn. 

 Syst. Veg. ed. 13. 140) with considerable hesitation. The plant 

 described above is probably that of Smith (Eng. Fl. ii. 35), al- 

 though the figure in ' Eng. Bot.' (t. 55.) will admit of doubt. 

 It seems also to agree sufficiently with the description given by 

 Bertoloni (Fl. Ital. iii. 69); and is, I believe, identical with a spe- 

 cimen from the neighbourhood of Hamburg, kindly sent to me 

 by Mr. W. Sonder of that city. It is worthy of remark, that in 

 that specimen the anthers have an apiculus, and that I have never 

 detected such a structure in British specimens. 



The error committed in my former paper in describing the co- 

 ronal processes as " spathulatis basi distantibus " may perhaps 

 admit of some excuse when it is remarked that, if a specimen is 

 softened in water, spread out and then allowed to become dry in 

 that position, the processes shrink in such a manner as quite to 

 agree with that description. It is hoped that the figure of the 

 interior of the flower now given will enable botanists to ascertain 

 the similarity or difierence of their plants from that described by 

 me, as it is the opinion of some botanists that there is still, not- 

 withstanding the separation of C. Trifolii and C. approximata, 



