538 



CASSYTHACEiE. 



[Perigynous Exogens. 



Order CCVI, CASSYTHACEiE.— Dodder-Laurels. 



LaurinsB, § Cassythese, Nees ah Esenb. Laiirin. Expos. 20. (1833).— Cassythese, Lindl. Nixus. PL 15. 

 (1833).— Cassythaceae, Ed. Pr. (1836). 



DiAGiNOSis. — Daphnal Exogens, with anthers bursting by recwved valves, scales for leaves, 

 and fruit buried in a succulent loermanent calyx. 



These plants have quite the appearance of Dodders, and, like them, appear to live 

 parasitically on other plants. They have no leaves 

 properly so called, but scales appear here and there 

 on their cord-like colourless t\\inmg stems. The ge- 

 neral structure of theu' flowers is that of Laurels. The 

 calyx is 6-parted, the 3 outer divisions being small 

 and inconspicuous. The stamens are petaloid, twelve 

 in number, in 4 rows ; the two external rows are per- 

 fect, vaih. 2-celled anthers, whose valves are recm'ved 

 and turned inwards ; the next row is very much 

 smaller, and has a pah' of glands at the base of each, 

 while the valves of the anthers turn outwards ; the 

 fourth row is scale-hke and abortive. The ovary is 

 one-celled, and contains one ovule ; it extends up- 

 wards into a short style with a simple stigma. The 

 fruit is a nut, coated by the succulent, enlai'ged, and 

 permanent calyx ; it contains a single seed without 

 albumen, an embryo with plano-convex cotyledons, and 

 an inclosed superior radicle. 



The structm-e, then, is nearly that of Laurels, the 

 main difference consisting in the fruit being inclosed 

 in a berried calyx. I formerly supposed that more 

 vaUd distinctions existed, having i)een misled by a 

 description given by Nees v. Esenbeck. Mr. Gardiier 

 has, however, shown that this was very erroneous 

 (Ifoohei''s Journal, 2. 26), and he entertains no doubt 

 about the identity of Laiu'els and Dodder-Laurels. It 

 seems to me, however, better to keep them distinct 

 imtil some connectmg liiik shall have been discovered, 

 if there be such a thing. 



The species are found in the hottest parts of the 

 world. 



Nothing is known of theu' uses. 



^2 S>^ 

 Fig. CCCLXVII. 



GENUS. 



Cassytha, L. 



Volutella, Forsk. 

 Calodium, Lour. 



Numbers. Gen. 



Sp. 9. 



Position. — Laurace&e. 



CuscutacecB ? 

 -Cassythace^.- 



Fig. CCCLXVII. - Cassytha filiforrais. 1. a flower ; 2. a fmit ; 3. a section ef it transversely. 



