260 DICOTYLEDONOUS PLANTS. 



and angled. Leaves very wliite beneath. Flowers pale yellow, 

 . clustered, on short peduncles. 



ORDER LXXXV1II. OROBANCHE^E. Juss. 'Lind. 



Calyx divided, persistent. Carol irregular, usually bilabi- 

 ate, persistent ; aestivation imbricated. Stamens 4, didynamous. 

 Ovary superior, seated in a fleshy disk, with 2 4-parietal 

 many-seeded placentae ; style 1 ; stigma 2-lobed. Fruit 

 capsular, inclosed within the withered corol, 1-celled, 2-valv- 

 ed, each valve bearing 1 or 2 placentas in the middle. Seeds 

 indefinite, minute ; embryo very minute, inverted at the apex 

 of a fleshy albumen. 



Herbs growing parasitically upon the roots of other species. 

 Stems covered with brown or colourless scales. 



1. OROBANCHE. Linn. 



Calyx 4 5-cleft ; segments often unequal. Corol ringent. 

 Capsule ovate, acute, 1-celled, 2-valved. Seeds numerous. 

 A gland beneath the base of the germ. 



Didynamia. Angiospermia. 



1. O. americana Linn. : stem very simple, covered with ovate-lance- 

 olate imbricate scales ; spike terminal, smooth ; corol recurved ; sta- 

 mens exserted. 



HAB. Woods. Car. to Geor. July. U.Stem 68 inches 

 . high, thick, leafless, scaly. Flmctrs in a terminal spike covered 

 by the scales of the stem, brownish-yellow. Parasitic. 



Cancer-root. 



2. O. uniflora Linn. : stem very short ; peduncles elongated, 

 gcapifonn, 1 -flowered, naked ; scales smooth, concave ; lobes of the 

 corol oblong-oval, with a pubescent coloured margin. 



HAB. Woods. Can. to Car. W. to Miss. May July. If 

 Peduncles 4 6 inches long, subpubescent. Flowers recurved, 

 bluish- white. Parasitic. 



2, EPIPHAGUS. Nutt. 



Polygamous. Calyx abbreviated, >toothed. Corol of the 

 sterile flower ringent, compressed, 4-cleft, lower lip flat ; of 

 the fertile flower minute 4-toothed, deciduous. Capsule trun- 

 cate, oblique, 1-celled, imperfectly 2-valved, opening only on 

 one side. Didynamia. Jingiospermia. 



E. americanus Nutt. Orobanche virginiana Linn. 



HAB. Woods. Can. to Car. July Sept. H.Stem a foot 

 high, branched, leafless, with small ovate scales. Flowers alter- 



