i88 SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERING PLANTS. 



bud (1). There are five stamens (3), as usual, epipeta- 

 lous. The pistil is composed of two carpels (2, 4, 5), 

 the ovary being two- or four-celled (4) with two ovules 

 in each, as seen in the ripe fruit (5). The style ends 

 with two long stigmas (2) ; or in some species the 

 stigma is globular. (6) is a seed. (7) is a seed cut 

 through to show the embryo with large leaf -like, folded 

 cotyledons within the endosperm ; (a) is the radicle. 



Cus'cuta. — This genus, known as " Dodder " in Eng- 

 land, has several species at the Cape, and is entirely 

 jmrasitic — that is, after having attached itself by suckers 

 on to a " host-plant," it derives all its nourishment 

 from, and not infrequently kills it. It forms entangled 

 masses of yellow and red thread-like stems over herbs 

 and bushes. It has no leaves, but dense clusters of 

 minute flowers, white or pinkish. The little globose 

 corolla is provided with toothed scales within it. It 

 has a capsular fruit, the seeds being very minute, with 

 a coiled -up, rod-like embryo, without cotyledons. This 

 germinates in the soil, and as soon as the little stem 

 can catch hold of anything, it coils round it, and makes 

 suckers at various points in contact with the host. 

 Through the middle of a sucker a root penetrates, and 

 so fixes the parasite on to the host-plant. It soon 

 loses all connection with the soil. 



We shall see under the order ThymelecB how 

 another plant can closely imitate the Cus'cuta as far as 

 its parasitic, thread-like stem is concerned; but the 



