390 CUSCUTACEAE 



Family 127. CUSCUTACEAE. 

 Dodder Family. 



Yellow or white parasitic plants, with very slender twining stems. Leaves re- 

 duced to minute alternate scales. Flowers cymosely clustered, small, white, yellow 

 or pinkish, 5-merous or rarely 4-merous. Calyx lobed or parted or the sepals some- 

 times distinct. Corolla campanulate, urceolate, ovoid or cylindric, the lobes imbri- 

 cate in the bud, the tube usually bearing as many fimbriate or crenulate scales as 

 lobes and alternate with them. Stamens alternate with the lobes and inserted in 

 the throat or sinuses above the scales, included or short-exserted ; anthers ellipsoid 

 or ovoid, 2-celled. Pistil 1, superior; ovary globose to ellipsoid, 2-celled ; ovules 

 2 in each cell ; styles 2, terminal, distinct or rarely united below ; stigma linear or 

 capitate. Capsule globose or ovoid, circumscissile or irregularly dehiscent, or in- 

 dehiscent. Seeds 1^, globose or angular, glabrous; endosperm fleshy; embryo 

 linear, straight, curved or spiralled ; cotyledons none, but apex bearing 1-4 minute 

 scales. 



1. CUSCUTA [Tourn.] L. Sp. PI. 124. 1753. 



The only genus in the family. The seeds germinate in the soil and the slender filiform 

 stem of the seedling soon attaches itself to an herb or shrub by means of minute lateral 

 cup-like suckers, the root and lower free part of stem soon perishing. [Name derived 

 from the Arabic] 



About 100 species, of wide geographical distribution but most abundant in the western hemisphere and 

 Polynesia. Type species, Cuscuta europaca L. 



Stigma capitate; capsule bursting irregularly. 

 Capsule globose or depressed-globose. 



Ovary and capsule without a thickened stylopodiura at apex. 



Corolla bearing scale-like appendages alternating with the lobes and attached to the tube below 

 the stamens. 

 Capsule globose, capped at the apex by the withered corolla; flowers 4-merous. 



1. C. Cephalanthi. 



Capsule globose or depressed-globose, withered corolla remaining about the base of the capsule. 



Corolla-lobes obtuse, their margins not inflexed at apex. 



2. C. obtustflora glandulosa. 



Corolla-lobes acute, the margins inflexed at apex. 



Corolla-lobes broadlv overlapping at base to form angles; flowers 1.5-2 mm. long; 

 capsule 1 . S-2 mm. broad. 3. C. pcntagona. 



Corolla-lobes overlapping but not forming angles; flowers 2-3 mm. long; capsule 

 2.5-3 mm. broad. 

 Flowers in compact globular clusters; corolla-tube as broad as long, lobes about 

 equaling the tube. 4. C. campestris. 



Flowers in racemose clusters; corolla-tube campanulate, longer than broad, 

 lobes erect, shorter than the tube. 5. C. suaveolens. 



Corolla without scales on the inner surface of the tube. 



Corolla-lobes erect, triangular, about as broad as long, shorter than the tube. 



6. C. Jepsonti. 



Corolla-lobes lanceolate or oblong, much longer than broad, reflexed or spreading. 



Corolla-lobes oblong, acutish or obtuse, reflexed; calyx-lobes broadly ovate, usually shorter 



than broad. 7. C. brachy calyx. 



Corolla-lobes lanceolate, very acute; calyx-lobes longer than broad, acute. 



Anthers oval, scarcely 0.5 mm. long; corolla-lobes spreading; flowers sessile. 



8. C. occidentalis. 



Anthers linear-oblong, nearly 1 mm. long; corolla-lobes reflexed; flowers distinctly 

 pedicelled. 9- C. calif ornica. 



Ovary and capsule with a thickened collar-like stylopodium surrounding the base of the styles. 



10. C. indecora neuropetala. 



Capsule ovoid, conic or beaked, commonly longer than broad; corolla with scales on the inner surface of 

 corolla-tube. 

 Corolla-tube elongated, much exceeding the calyx; scales free from the corolla above their middle. 



11. C. subinclnsa. 



Corolla-tube not elongated, about equaling or shorter than the calyx; scales adnate to the corolla along 

 their median line nearly or quite their whole length. 

 Calyx-lobes and corolla-lobes attenuate at apex; scales adnate their whole length, their margins 

 appearing as 2 separate wing-like appendages on the sides but not on the summit. 



12. C. Siiksdorfii. 



Calyx-lobes and corolla-lobes rounded or the latter obtuse, often denticulate. 



14. C. dcntxculata. 



Stigma linear; capsule circumscissile. 



Flowers not fleshy: calyx-lobes not thickened and turgid at apex. 15. C. Epithymum. 



Flowers fleshy; calyx-lobes distinctly thickened and turgid at apex. 16. C. approximata urceolata. 



