CLASS V. ORDER II.] CUSCUTA. 343 



State until the following Spring, when they put forth their slender stem 

 and fibrous roots. The roots, however, are not able to supply the plant 

 for any length of time'with nutriment, and shortly die away; as does 

 the stem also, if it is made to attach itself to some plant growing near 

 it, around which it entwines its slender branches, and at various inter- 

 vals puts out small wart-like protuberances, having a glandular apex, 

 by which it attaches itself to other plants, at first adhering by the 

 peculiar secretion from the gland, and shortly after this a minute 

 fringed border is formed around it, and from the centre is protruded a 

 slender radical, which pierces the bark and absorbs the fluids, circu- 

 lating in the vessels of the plant upon which it attaches itself, and 

 applies them to its own use — thus being able to support itself at the 

 expense of the proper juice of another plant, its own root dies, and it 

 becomes a true "parasite," widely extending its branches, and deriving 

 support from all the plants around, producing its numerous compact 

 heads of crowded flowers, whose structure is equally curious as that of 

 the stem. The calyx is large for the size of the flower, (more especially 

 that of C. Europsea), but very fleshy in the apparent tubular part, 

 which has a pedicle in the centre, supporting the corolla. After the 

 stamens and pistils have performed their office, and the ovules are in 

 need of a large and constant supply of nutriment, the fleshy base of 

 the calyx, which appears to act as a reservoir in case of exigence, 

 becomes, as they arrive at maturity, absorbed, leaving the capsule 

 supported upon the central pedicle, and then it appears as though 

 each flower was elevated upon its own footstalk, instead of sessile, as 

 in reality it is. Thus we see a beautiful provision for the perfecting 

 of the seeds to perpetuate the species, in a plant which derives its 

 support through the medium of others, a supply of which is so apt to 

 be checked or stopped from various contingent circumstances. The 

 corolla is tubular in its lower part, and surrounds at its base the 

 globular germen, over which is stretched a thin membrane from the 

 sides of the corolla ; and as the germen increases in size, this membrane 

 is ruptured, forming scales at the base of the stamens, in a more or 

 less regular manner. In our species, C. Epithymum, they form a 

 constant and beautiful character ; hut in C. Europaa they are much 

 smaller, lanceolate, of a very delicate texture, irregrilar in number, and 

 shortly disappear. Their size, as well as number, is very variable, 

 scarcely ever the same in two flowers on the same plant; and it is 

 probable, from the circumstance of their extreme delicacy and variation 

 in this species, that contradictory opinions are entertained as to their 

 being ever found or not : for after the corolla expands, and the germen 

 enlarges, we do not find scarcely a rudiment of them. The seeds are 

 remarkable from their want of cotyledons and the embryo beiug spiral 

 round the central albumen. It is also a curious fact, that the same 

 plant extends its various ramifications over different plants, and ab- 



