160 FAMILIAR WILD FLOWERS. 



under their notice, and give a fairly good drawing of: 

 the broom plant and this parasite adherent to its roots. 

 Parkinson speaks of it as follows : ' ' From the rootes hereof 

 in many places (but more often where no broome growethe, 

 namely, by fields and hedgesides, and upon heathes) 

 growethe another plant whose stalke is of the bignesse of 

 a finger or thumbe, having a show of leaves on them and 

 many flowers at the toppe, somewhat like unto the flowers 

 of orchis, but larger, and of a deadish yellow colour/' He 

 commends the stems as a substitute for asparagus, but 

 says they are far more bitter, and it appears, according to 

 him, to be " a singular good helpe " for divers complaints. 

 His reference to the broom-rape being more often than not 

 found away from the broom, does not invalidate its name, 

 but only indicates that it is parasitic on several species 

 of leguminous plants. 



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