Ei 
XI. On the Structure of Cuscuta europea. By Cuanrzs C. PETA Esq., 
M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S., &c. 
Read January 16th, 1838. 
IN Sir James Smith's English Flora (ii. 25.) it is observed that the flowers of 
Cuscuta europea are *in all the British specimens as well as in Ehrbart's 
German ones destitute of scales in the throat of the tube (of the corolla), 
which Dr. Hooker confirms, in contradiction to the opinion of our learned 
friend Mr. Brown, who possibly examined specimens of C. epithymum, some 
of which often approach the europea in size.“ Mr. Brown's words (Prodr. 491.) 
are, * squam in C. europea et monogyna certé extant." 
'These conflicting statements led me to examine fresh specimens of the plant 
referred to, (gathered at Sompting in Sussex, in company with Mr. Borrer, 
who was fully satisfied of its being the true C. ewropwa,) and I have great 
pleasure in confirming the observation of Mr. Brown. "The fact of these 
scales having been overlooked by Smith and Hooker is easily accounted for 
by their lying quite close to the corolla, their perfect transparency, and very 
minute size. They are, indeed, so difficult of detection as not to have been at 
first noticed by Mr. Borrer and myself, even when examining fresh specimens, 
and it is scarcely possible to discover them in flowers that have been dried. 
Upon referring to the different authors who have described this plant, I find 
that the presence or absence of scales is frequently passed over without any 
notice :—That Persoon, Host and Besser (Prim. Fl. Galliciæ Austr.) say that 
they do not exist; Reichenbach describes and figures them as “ palmato- 
subsexfidis ;" Gaudin says, “in iconibus Sturmii, Schkuhrii et Eng. Bot. fila- 
menta male depicta fuerunt. Squamæ enim utique, sed ægre conspicuæ ad- 
sunt;" and by Bluff and Fingerhuth, in their 2nd edition, they are said to be 
* erectis adpressis." This last description agrees with that of Mertens and 
Koch, whose words are, aufrecht, angedrückt, erect and adpressed. Roemer 
VOL. XVIII. 2F 
