251 



3. Cuscuta cpilinum, Weihe, (in Boenningh. Prod. Fl. Monast. 75). Clusters of 

 flowers bracteated, sessile ; scales palmately somewhat six-cleft, adpressed to the 

 tube of the corolla ; tube always ventricose ; segments of the calyx fleshy, del- 

 toid at the base, scarcely shorter than the corolla. Segments of the corolla acute. 

 (Fig. 4). 

 " Segments of the calyx 5, ovate, attenuated above into an acute point, very fleshy, 

 with peculiarly large cells ; some of them often so much thickened as to become del- 

 toid. Tube of the corolla H times as long as the limb, slightly inflated, the lobes tri- 

 angular, acute ; stamens inserted very near to the summit of the tube ; filaments short; 

 anthers cordate ; the limb of the corolla is often very fleshy. Scales bifid, each lobe 

 either entire or 2- or 3-fid, short. Styles 2, short, bent round each other. Bractes 

 not always present, broadly ovate, obtuse, with a minute point, often purplish. Flow- 

 ers whitish yellow, sometimes tinged with pink. Anthers bright yellow.'' — p. 565. 



Found on flax in many parts of Britain, but most probably not in- 

 digenous. Mr. Babington observes that flax raised from American, 

 and, he believes, Riga seed, are free fi-om this pai'asite ; but that it is 

 " introduced with flax-seed from Odessa, and other ports of Southern 

 Russia." 



4. Cuscuta halophyta. Fries, (Nov. Fl. Suec. Mantis, p. 8). " Clusters of flowers 

 somewhat bracteated," sessile ; scales bifid, the segments also bifid, adpressed to 

 the ventricose tube of the corolla : calyx much shorter than the tube of the co- 

 rolla. — Segments of the corolla ovate, obtuse. Segments of the calyx obtuse. Stt/les 

 2. " I have seen most of the clusters of flowers bracteated,^ Fries. (Fig. 5). 



A Norwegian species, not yet detected in Britain. 



Art. XXXVIII. — On the Reproductive Organs q/" Equisetum. By Mr. Jo- 

 seph Henderson. Communicated by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, M.A. 

 F.L.S. 



The results of Mr. Henderson's observations on the reproductive 

 organs of this genus, differ, in some respects, from those arrived at by 

 Treviranus, Meyen, Bischoff" and Mohl, by whom, without his being 

 aware of the fact at the time he wrote, he has been in part anticipated. 

 Mr. Henderson well remarks that : — 



" There is no part of the structure of Equisetum more curious or more anomalous 

 than the organs of reproduction ; and although the position of the order in the natu- 

 ral system depends on the nature of these organs, yet this is so far matter of doubt, 

 that very eminent botanists do not seem decided as to whether Equisetaceae are to rank 

 among Phaenogamic or Cryptogamic plants." — p. 567. 



Without however entering into this question here, we must content 

 ourselves with giving, by way of introduction, a brief description of 

 the fructification of the genus, which will render the subsequent ana- 

 lysis more clear and satisfactory. 



The reproductive organs of Equisetum are borne in terminal cone- 



