CUSCUTACEAE 



967 



but soon decaying above the root, thence attached to host-plants by suckers, 

 dextrorse! y twining. Leaves reduced to minute alternate scales. Flowers per- 

 fect, in variously disposed cymes. Calyx inferior : sepals 5 or rarely 4, distinct 

 or partly united. Corolla regular : petals 5 or [rarely 4, partly united, imbri- 

 cated, accompanied by 4-5 alternating crenulate or appendaged scales, or these 

 obsolete. Stamens 5 or rarely 4, adnate to the throat of or near the sinuses of 

 the corolla above the scales. Filaments never elongated. Anthers 2-celled : 

 sacs opening lengthwise. Ovary 2-celled, seldom much longer than broad. 

 Styles 2, mostly distinct. Stigmas capitate. Ovules 2 in each cavity. Capsule 

 subglobose, depressed or slightly elongated, 2-celled, circumscissile or indehis- 

 cent, 1-4-seeded. Seeds globose or angular. Embryo curved or spiral in the 

 fleshy endosperm, with 1-4 minute scales at the apex. 



1. CUSCUTA L. 



Characters of the family. DODDER. LOVE VINE. 



Styles separate. 



Calyx of 4-5 distinct sepals, these subtended by imbricated bracts. 



Flowers pedicelled, in open cymes : bracts entire. 1. C. cuspidata. 



Flowers sessile, in dense clusters : bracts erose-serrulate. 



Bracts few, short, erect : styles about as long as the ovary. 2. C. compacta. 



Bracts elongated, with recurved tips : styles much longer than the ovary. 3. C. paradoxa 

 Calyx of 4-5 partially united sepals, unaccompanied by bracts. 

 Corolla-lobes acute. 



Capsule seated in the persistent corolla. 



Calyx-lobes acute or acutish : scales rather broad, fringed all around. 4. C. arvensis. 

 Calyx-lobes obtuse : scales much reduced, often of 1-3 small processes. 5. C. Polygonorum. 

 Capsule capped with or enclosed by the persistent corolla. 

 Calyx-lobes erose-crenulate : scales shorter than the tube. 



Capsule enclosed by the corolla : scales broad, copiously fringed. 6. C. indecora. 

 Capsule capped by the corolla : scales reduced to few irregular 



processes. 7. C. Cwyli. 



Calyx-lobes entire : scales surpassing the corolla-tube. 8. C. umbellata. 



Corolla-lobes obtuse. 



Scales shorter than the corolla-tube. 



Capsules spheroidal, each capped with the corolla. 9. C. Cephalanthi. 



Capsules ovoid or globose-ovoid, seated in the corollas. 10. C. rostrata. 



Scales fully as long as the corolla-tube or surpassing it. 



Inflorescence not glandular : capsules longer than broad or subglobose. 

 Scales sparingly fringed above, widest near base : capsule partially 



enclosed by or seated in the persistent corolla. 

 Scales copiously fringed above, widest at the top : capsule capped 



with the persistent corolla. 



Inflorescence glandular : capsules broader than long. 

 Styles united nearly to the top. 



11. C. Gronwii. 



12. C. calyptrata. 



13. C. glandulosa. 



14. C. exaltata. 



1. Cuscuta cuspidata Engelm. Foliage yellowish, little darker in age. Stems 

 slender ; branches often numerous, but not widely matted : flowers short-pedicelled, in 

 large branching cymes : calyx subtended by several imbricated bracts : sepals 5, distinct, 

 entire, shorter than the corolla-tube, as broad as long : corolla nearly salverform, about 

 3 mm. long ; lobes 5, oblong to triangular-lanceolate, acute or cuspidate, spreading barely 

 as long as the tube ; scales oblong, fully as long as the corolla-tube, fringed throughout 

 with short irregular processes : capsules subglobose, 1.5-2 mm. long, each capped with the 

 persistent corolla. 



On coarse herbs, Missouri to Nebraska, south to Texas. Summer and fall. 



2 . Cuscuta compdcta Juss. Foliage yellowish white, deeper in age. Stems rather 

 stout ; branches often in wide mats when young : flowers sessile, crowded into ^ dense 

 masses : calyx subtended by several ribbed imbricated bracts ; these rhombic-orbicular, 

 serrulate : sepals 5 or rarely 4, distinct, oval, obtuse, crenulate, about as broad as long : 

 corolla exserted, 4 mm. long, salverform ; tube cylindric ; lobes ovate or oblong, obtuse, 

 spreading, much shorter than the tube ; scales oblong, fully the length of the corolla- 

 tube, fringed, mainly near the top, with numerous processes : capsules subglobose or ovoid- 

 globose, 3-3.5 mm. long, each enclosed by or capped with the rather persistent corolla. 



On shrubs, Ontario to Kansas, New York. Georgia and Texas. Summer and fall. 



3. Cuscuta paraddxa Kaf . Foliage yellowish white, very slightly deeper at maturity. 

 Stems slender ; branches forming very dense spiral masses, closely investing the hosts : 

 flowers very numerous, crowded in dense confluent masses closely investing portions of the 

 host-plants : calyx sessile, subtended by several strongly ribbed imbricated serrulate 

 bracts : sepals 5, distinct, oblong, obtuse, serrulate, broader than the bracts but less strongly 

 ribbed : corolla exserted, 3 mm. long, salverform ; tube cylindric ; lobes oblong-lanceo- 

 late to ovate-triangular, \ the length of the tube, obtuse, spreading or recurved ; scales 



