THE GENERAL CHARACTERS OF SEEDS 465 



Clover Dodder (Ouscuta epithymum Murr.). 



Seed spherical or subspherical, one-thirtieth to one-twenty-fourth 



in. in diameter ; surface roughened, with appearance of sponginess, 



dull, usually ashy, yellowish to light or dark brown, or purplish ; 



embryo coiled, without cotyledons, consisting of slender tapering 



Fig. 328. Clover Dodder (Cuscuta epithymum). A, a group showing various 

 forms and views of seeds. B and C, seeds having the scurfy appearance. 

 D and E show the angled, scar-bearing face, E, being one of the light- 

 colored, sterile seeds. F, a torn, dried flower having the seed-vessel intact. 

 G, the embryo. H, group of seeds showing the natural size. 

 (After Hillman, Bull. Nev. Agr. Exp. Sta.) 



body, with caulicle and radicle embedded in fleshy endosperm. 

 Commonly distributed in seed of clovers and alfalfa. Brown and 

 Hillman state that this dodder is almost entirely confined to Euro- 

 pean grown seed, since the plant does not generally produce seed 

 in this country. 



Chilean Dodder (Cuscuta sp.) 



Seeds spherical to subspherical or oval, inclined to be more angu- 

 lar than the preceding species, flattened on one side, one-seventeenth 

 to one-fifteenth in. in diameter, about the size of large field dodder 

 seeds; dull brownish, minutely roughened; scar prominent, at end 

 of flattened surface, lighter in color than rest of seed. Found in 

 both clover and alfalfa seed, from which it is screened with dif- 

 ficulty. 



Fig. 329. Chilean Dodder (.Cuscuta chilensis) . 

 (Drawing after Burchard.) 

 30 



