OROBAXCHACEAE 181 



t Flowers monoicously polygamous. 



259. EPIPIIITGUS, Nutt. 



[Gr. Epi, upon, and Phegos, the beech ; because it grows on the roots of that tree.] 

 Flowers racemose on the branches; upper ones abortive, with a com- 

 pressed bilabiate corolla, long filaments and style ; lower ones fer- 

 tile, the corolla rarely opening, but pushed off by the growing 

 ovary. Calyx 5- toothed. Capsule obovoid, obtuse, or truncate. 



1. E. Virgilliilll<l, Bart. Purplish brown; somewhat pubes- 

 cent in lines ; much branched ; flowers rather distant, subsessile. 

 E. Americanus. Nutt. $ Fl. Cestr. ed. 2. p. 376. 

 VIRGINIAN EPIPHEGUS. Beech-drops. Caneer-root. 



Perennial f Boot tuberous, fleshy, with numerous short coarse fibres inter- 

 mingled with scales. Stem 6 to 12 or 15 inches high, angular, striate, with nu- 

 merous slender branches. Flowers in the axils of lance-ovate scales ; corolla of the 

 abortive ones about half an inch long, whitish, with purple stripes, of the fertile 

 ones, short, not opening, apparently circumscissed below. Stamens of the abortive 

 flowers free, of the fertile ones short, the anthers cohering with the stigma, in the 

 apex of the unexpanded corolla. 

 Hob. Wood-lands, under Beech trees : frequent. FL Sept. Fr. Octo. 



Obs. This singular plant is remarkable for being found (like VIR- 

 GIL'S Shepherd) "sub tegmine Fagi" and seems to be confined to 

 the roots, or immediate vicinity, of Beech trees. MICHATJX says of 

 its habitat "inradice FAGI, nee aliae plantae"; nor have I ever 

 seen it growing elsewhere. It is considerably astringent, and 

 was formerly in some repute, in the hands of cancer Doctors, and 

 other dealers in infallibles. 



f f Flowers all perfect. 

 260. COIVOPH'OMS, Wallrotn. 



[Gr. Konos, a Fir-cone, and Pholis,& scale; from its imbricated scales.] 

 Flowers in a thick scaly-bracted spike : Calyx irregularly 5-cleft, 

 with 2 bractlets at base. Corolla ventricose below, unequally 5- 

 lobed, and ringent; upper lip arched. Stamens exserted. Capsule 

 with 4 placentae, which are approximated in pairs on each valve. 



1. C. Americana, Wallr. Yellowish brown; smooth; stem 

 simple, thick, covered with ovate-lanceolate imbricated scales. 

 Orobanche Americana. L. $ Fl. Cestr. ed. 2. p. 376. 

 AMERICAN CONOPHOLIS. Squaw-root. 



Perennial. Stem 1 to 3 or 4 inches in length, mostly in clusters, thick and 

 fleshy, bearing a thick dense spike 2 to 5 inches long ; flowers subsessile, in the 

 axils of lance-ovate acuminate bracts; corolla dirty white, or pale brown. 

 Hub. Rich woodlands; along Brandy wine: not common. Fl. June. Fr. July. 



261. APIIYI/LOHr, Mitchell. 



[Gr. a, privative, and Phyllon, a leaf; from its naked stalks.] 

 Flowers solitary, on long scape-like peduncles: Calyx regularly 5- 

 cleft, without bractlets. Corolla with a rather long curved tube, 

 somewhat bilabiate, the upper lip deeply bifid, the lobes similar 

 to the 3 of the lower lip. Stamens included. Capsule with 4 equi- 

 distant placentae. 



