126 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



At the points in close contact with the host suckers 

 are developed which penetrate the tissue of the 

 host, growing into organic union with them, and 

 drawing off all the food materials required by the 

 parasite, which has no green tissue of its own. The 

 seeds of Cuscuta germinate later than those of the 

 host plant ; a very short anchorage root is formed 

 and the stem nutates in search of a host ; as soon 

 as it has clasped one the root dies away." 



The Lesser Dodder is not uncommon in England,, 

 and is found in South Scotland, and in Ireland and 

 the Channel Islands. 



The habitat is that of the host-plants, Heath, Ling, 

 Gorse, Thyme, etc. The plant grows on heaths as a 

 rule, on a sandy soil. 



The stems are slender, twining, reddish. There 

 are no leaves or roots, save in the seedling stage.- 



The flowers are tinged with red, and in rounded, 

 close, small, compact heads. The sepals are acute, 

 nearly erect, the calyx small. The calyx is less than 

 the corolla. The lobes of the white corolla are 

 spreading, and pointed, as long as the tube, which is 

 cylindrical. The scales are large, toothed, in contact, 

 converging, nearly closing the tube, and as long as- 

 the latter. The stamens, as well as the style, project 

 beyond the tube. The anthers are blunt or notched. 

 The capsule is two-celled, the seeds angled. 



The plant is sometimes 2 ft. in length. Flowers 

 are to be found in August and September, and the- 

 plant is a herbaceous annual. 



