DUBLIN 5ATUEAL HIBTOBT BOCreXT. 117 



Mr. J. B. Doyle read the following paper — 



on some pecrlia.ritie8 of habit in the doddeb plant (cuscuta 

 epithymum). 



It is well known to botanists that there is a curioxis group of plants 

 known by the name of Parasites, which derive the whole or the greater 

 portion of their nutriment from other plants. Some of these, as the 

 misletoe, have leaves of their own, and others, as the Dodder, have none, 

 but only naked fileiments, studded in the season with small tufts of 

 flowers of a delicate pinkish-white. It is believed by some that there is 

 a corresponding difference in their mode of feeding, the former having 

 leaves of its own, feeding upon the ascending or unelaborated ; the latter 

 upon the descending or perfected sap. 



Having spent some weeks, last summer, in South Devon, I paid a 

 visit to Dartmoor Forest, and spent some very pleasant hours botanizing 

 over the Moor. 



In the course of my ramble my attention was arrested by the strange 

 appearance of the gorsc or furze, which at a little distance appeared to 

 have a delicate pinkish hue pervading its green and prickly branches. 

 Upon close examination I found that this was occasioned by the inter- 

 mingling of a vast number of naked filaments or tendrils, studded with 

 most elegant little waxy flowers, of a delicate French white colour. 



A botanical friend explained that this curious plant was the Ctueuta 

 epithymum, or Dodder plant. 



To those who, for the first time, recognise a plant or specimen which 

 they had previously known only from description, I need not describe 

 the pleasure with which I examined this curious, very beautifiil, but 

 very mischievous little plant. 



But my attention was soon arrested by a curious and, I believe, a 

 very interesting discovery. Upon one of the specimens I observed two 

 blossoms of the moor heath {E. cinered) in vigorous health, growing upon 

 a filament of the Dodder. 



Upon closely exam i ning the immediate locality, I found a stool of 

 heath within less than a yard of the farze bush, from, which I took the 

 specimen now on the table. 



There could be no doubt that the blossoms in question had been ex- 

 cised fix)m the heath by the tendrils of the Dodder, and so completely 

 were they incorporated that they did not miss their removal from the 

 parent bush, but appeared to be nourished by the juices of the intrusivo 

 plant, and thus presented the novel feature of being a parasite in turn 

 upon the true parasite which had borne them off. 



The most curious part of the circumstance was that the Dodder, 

 having excised the two pretty heath flowers, went forward on its rambles, 

 throwing its lasso round a spray of the furze bush, striking into it frtish 

 rootlets to support itself on its devious way, carrying intact its precious 

 burden through the thorny maze. 



