GAMOPETAL.© 155 



sembles in its hemiparasitic character, Dr. Von 

 Wettstein says, " The formation of the suckers occurs 

 in spring, the absorption of organic food by their 

 means from living parts of plants lasts into summer ; 

 at this period the haustoria contain but little starch. 

 In late summer and autumn an absorption of organic 

 compounds from the dead parts of the host takes 

 place. At this period, and later, the haustoria func- 

 tion as places for storage of reserve-materials." 

 Unlike true parasites, this group has green leaves, 

 and so they are capable of carbon assimilation or 

 photosynthesis. 



The Cow-wheat is general in Britain, and occurs 

 also in Ireland. In the Highlands it is found at an 

 altitude of 3000 ft. 



The habitat is copses, woods, pastures, heaths. 

 The plant occurs on clay and loam in the damp oak- 

 wood, and on neutral grass-land. It is found on sandy 

 soil in the dry oakwood, on oak birch heath, and on 

 heaths. 



In habit the plant is a hemiparasite. The stem is 

 slender, wiry, with spreading, opposite branches, 

 more or less at right angles. Usually the plant is 

 hairless, or downy. The leaves are linear, lance- 

 shaped or ovate, stalkless, or shortly-stalked, fringed 

 with hairs, entire. The floral leaves are distant, short, 

 toothed below. 



The flowers are in distant pairs in the axils, all 

 turned one way, yellow. The calj^x is not so long 

 as the corolla, with erect or ascending teeth, lance- 



