OROBANCHACEiE. 



253 EPXPHEGUS. 



ORDER LXXXVIII. OROBANCHACE/E. The Brocn-rape Trite. 



Oil. — 4 — 5-loothed, inferior, persistent. 



Cor.— Irreffular, persistent, imbricote in aestivation. 



JSta. — ^J, diilynainous. Anth. 2-cellecl. 



Oca.— 1-celled, free from the calvx, with 2 parietal placenta. Stijle 1. Stig. 2-lobed. 



j.>._Capsule enclosed within the witliered corolla, 1-celled, 2-valved, each valve bearing 



one simple or 2-lobed placenta in the middle. 

 S(ls. — Very numerous and minute. 



A small order of herbs, destitute of leaves or other green foliag-e, growing parasitically on 

 tlie roots of oilier plants. Stem sfurnished with scales, and bearing solitary or spicate flow- 

 ers. The species are mostly natives of the northern temperate zone. Properties astrmgeiit 

 and bitter. 



Genera. 



Flowers perfect. Stem simple or divided. Orobancke 1 



Flowers monccciously polygamous. Stems branching Epiphegus. 2 



1. OROBA'NCHE. 



Calyx 2 — 5 cleft, tlic segments often unequal ; corolla rin- 

 gent, limb 4 — 5-lobed; ovary sealed in a fleshy disk ; capsule 

 ovoid, acule, 1-celled, 2-valved, many-seeded. 



Gr. oQo/ioi, a vetch or some other lejruminous plant, and ayy,civ, to strangle ; 

 because tliese parasites were supposed to destroy whatever they grew upon. 

 Herbaceous, parasitic.' destitute of green herbage, leafless, the stem clothed 

 with scales. Ficwers spicate or solitary. Cor. lube curved, inflated, limb 

 spreading ; upper lip concave, notched, lower reflexed, 3-cleft. Fil. concealed 

 under the upper lip. Anth. ajjproximate, awned. 



1. 0. UNIFLO'RA. L. O. biflora. .Kutt. 



Scnprs in pairs, naked, each l-flowered. A small, leafless plant, with the 

 o-eneral aspect of a Monotropa, found in woods and thickets. Root short, 

 thick, smooth, scaly, surmounted by a stem not exceeding halfaa inch in 

 lenii-tl). This divides at its top, generally into 2, scape-like, erect, round, 

 simple, naked peduncles, 4 — 5 inches high, downy, purplish white, with a 

 iioddinii- flower at the top, of tlie same hue. A dozen or more such flower 

 stalks are often found clustered together. June, July. Per. 



Oac-Jlowcred Broumnipe. 



2 0. American'a. 



filcm simple, covered with oval-lanceolate, imbricated scales ; spike smooth, 

 terminal; coro/Za recurved ; staincns exi^exi. Woods. Stem very thick, 4 — G 

 inches hiirli, very sinootii, brownish yellow, leafless, closely imbricated with 

 pale, polished, oval scales. The spikes are dense. Bracts pale and smootli 

 like the scales oi the stem. Corolla tubular, bent downwards, tiie upper lip 

 vaulted, yellow. Calyx irregularly divided into jagged segments, with 2 

 bracts at base. July. Per. Jmcrican Brouiarupc. 



2. EPIPHE'GUS. 



Monccciously polygamous ; calyx abbreviated, 5-toothcd. 

 Slcrilejl. — Corolla ringent, compressed, 4-c!eft, lower lip flat. 

 Fertile fls. — Corolla minute. 4-toothed, deciduous ; capsule 

 truncate, oblique, 1-celled, 2-valved, opening only on one side. 



Gr. £7ri, upon, and (ff.yj?, the beech ; beinjr supposed parasitical on the roots 

 of that tree. Herbs, destitute of green herb:ige, leafless, with virgate, simple 

 branches which are floriferous in their whole length. 



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