552 VALKERIID.E. 



Valkeria cuscuta, Flem. B. A. 550 : Farre, Phil. Trans. 1837, 402, pi. xxiii. : 

 Van Sen. ' Eecberches ' (1845), 27, pi. iv. fig. B (Mem. 

 Brux. xviii. 3, pi. i.): Johisf. B. Z. ed. 2, 374: Dali/ell, 

 Eem. An. i. 248, pi. li. figs. 1, 2: Landsb. Pop. Hist. 370, 

 pi. XX. fig. 78 : Smiti, (Eh. &c. 1866, 501 & 523, pi. iii. 

 figs. 28, 34, 35 : Joliet (including both forms), Bryoz. d. cotes 

 d. France, 101. 



NiGELLASTRUM cuscuTUM, Oi:en, Lelrrb. ITfaturg. Zool. pt. ii. 93. 



Vesicularia cu.scuta, J. V. Thomps. Zool. lUustr. 07 .pi. ii. figs. 1-4. 



CuscuTAiuA CUSCUTA, Blaiiiv. Actinol. 497, pi. Ixxxii. fig. 2. 



Stem repent and adnate^ jointed at intervals^ giving off 

 branches in opposite pairs, also adnate (form uva) ; or 

 sending up free, slender, flexile shoots of varying 

 length, much attenuated towards the extremities, and 

 bearing opposite branches (form cuscuta). Zoacia 

 small, slender-ovate, transparent, clustered about the 

 joints, chiefly on the lateral branches. 



Polypide with 8 tentacles. 



Height of the erect form {cuscuta) about 2 inches ; occa- 

 sionally 4. 



The only difference between the Linnsean species Sertu- 

 laria uva and ;S^. cuscuta seems to lie in the habit of growth. 

 The latter is an erect and luxuriant variety of the former. 



In its repent condition V. uva is a very minute and 

 inconspicuous species (though a singularly beautiful object 

 when living) ; the variety cuscuta, on the contrary, is free 

 and vigorous in its growth, and forms clustering masses 

 of tall wavy shoots. The groups of cells placed at the 

 origin of the branches, and scattered at intervals along 

 them, give it a very pretty and characteristic appearance. 



The branches are always given off" immediately below a 

 joint, where the stem is somewhat dilated; the cells are 

 borne principally on the branches ; and in some cases a 

 large number of very short internodes occur above the 

 point of origin, on which they are thickly clustered 

 (Plate LXXV. fig. 2) . 



