168 JBotang 



Of late much attention has been paid to the study 

 of parasitic i^lants. The English call the invaded 

 plant the host, and speak of a parasite with some re- 

 spect in spite of its disreputable way of obtaining a 

 living. The mistletoe has, in a manner, conferred 

 dignity on parasites in the English idea, because the 

 mistletoe was held sacred by the Druids. Naturally 

 this mistletoe does not choose the oak, but the apple ; 

 the Druids transplanted it to the oaks because the 

 oaks were objects of worship and were tree temples. 

 Mistletoes, as we have seen, are only partial para- 

 sites, and other instances of partial parasitism have 

 but lately come to notice in what are now called 

 clandestine parasites ; these are plants whose tricky 

 habit was hidden, and for long was unsuspected. 

 Among these, the error of whose ways has been but 

 recently discovered, are the toad-flax, wood betony, 

 e3^ebright, and cow-wheat. Gerardias are parasitic 

 upon roots of other plants, but have a well-developed 

 leaf-surface gathering food from the air. One of the 

 largest flowers in the world, sharing the palm of size 

 with the great Victoria Regia lily, is a parasite found 

 in the Island of Sumatra — the monstrous Rafflesia 

 Arnoldi ; this is a direct parasite, has nothing like 

 leaves, is merely a flower growing directly on the 

 stem of a Cissus — a flower only, but what a flower ! 

 It weighs nine pounds, and is of the circumference 



