342 CCSCUTA. [CLASS V. ORDER It. 



Corolla wliite, of one piece, the lube cylindrical, the limb of four or 

 five ovate acute segments, as long as the tube. Slamrns on slendei' 

 filaments, with small ovate yellow anthers. Cf^HfJiroundish, superior, 

 crowned with tlie two short erect sinii)le styles and pinkish stigmas. 

 Capsule roundish, ovate, on a stalk about its own length, surrounded 

 by the withered corolla and calyx, the stalk on which il stands is the 

 pedicle, which was surrounded by the fleshy base of the calyx, which is 

 absorbed after germination has taken place, during the perfection of 

 the ovules. The capsule of two cells bursts transversely near the base 

 f<)r the escape of the four roundish seeds, which are minutely punctured, 

 the hilum with a depressed opening, the embri/o spiral, round, the 

 central flesh albumen. 



Habitat. — Parisitical on nettles, flux, hemp, hop, bo.'i, &c ; rare. 

 Chiefly in the Midland Counties of England ; about Ediuburgh, 

 Aberdeen, the [sle of Arran, Scotland ; and in Ireland. 



Annual ; flowering from July to September. 



C. Epili'num, Weihe, Flax Dodder. Stem simple, heads of about 

 five flowers ; corolla wilh a fleshy globose tube, longer than the some- 

 what spreading campanulate calyx, 



Reich. Ic. Bot. t. 500.— Hooker, British Flora, Ed. 4. vol. i. p. 109. 

 C. major. — Koch. et. Tiz cat, pi. palat. p. 5, 



"Stem simple, yellowish green. FUnvers fewer in ahead, and much 

 more succulent than in the preceding species, and cellular when seen 

 under a lens. TttJe of corolla always globose. Filaments \cry short. 

 Calyx broad and spreading, with five broad acute teeth." 



Habitat. — Ou flax, Ellesmere. — /. E. Jiotrman, Esq. 



Annual ; flowering in August and September. 



" This," Sir W. J. Hooker observes, " I believe (o be quite a distinct 

 species;" and that "it is abundant in Germany, (whence it was pro- 

 bably introduced with flax seed to us), and is very injurious to the 

 crops of this plant, upon which it is a parasite." 



Of the two species of Cuscuta first above mentioned, the greater 

 Dodder is easily distinguished from the lesfer, by its more robust 

 growth and larger size. It is on the Continent as with us far less 

 common than the lesser Dodder, and like it seems indiscriminate 

 in the plants from which it derives its support. 



The Dodders, though less attractive in their appearance than many 

 other of our native plants, are, nevertheless, perhaps amongst the most 

 interesting to the student of nature, who delights to search out the 

 wisdom, the ways, and perfection of all things made by the Father of 

 the Universe. 



The seeds of the Dodder, as we have already described, are contained 

 in a two celled capsule, which bursts transversely near the base for ihe 

 escape of the seeds: these falling to the gvonnd vrmnin in a dormant 



