538 



CASSYTHACE/E. 



[Perigynous Exogens. 



Order CCVI. CASSYTHACEiE.— Dodder-Laurels. 



Laurinas, § Cassythete, Nees ab Esenb. Lanrin. Expos. 20. (1833). — Cassytheae, Lindl. Nixies. PI. 15. 



I1833).-Cassythaceae, Ed. Fr. (1836). 



Diagnosis. — Daphnal Exogens, with anthers bursting by recurved valves, scales for leaves, 

 and fruit buried in a succulent permanent calyx. 



These plants have quite the appearance of Dodders, and, like them, appear to live 



parasitically on other plants. They have no leaves 

 properly so called, but scales appear here and there 

 on their cord-like colourless twining stems. The ge- 

 neral structure of their flowers is that of Laurels. The 

 calyx is 6-parted, the 3 outer divisions being small 

 and inconspicuous. The stamens are petaloid, twelve 

 in number, in 4 rows ; the two external rows are per- 

 fect, with 2-celled anthers, whose valves are recurved 

 and turned inwards ; the next row is very much 

 smaller, and has a pair of glands at the base of each, 

 while the valves of the anthers turn outwards ; the 

 fourth row is scale-like and abortive. The ovary is 

 one-celled, and contains one ovule ; it extends up- 

 wards into a short style with a simple stigma. The 

 fruit is a nut, coated by the succulent, enlarged, and 

 permanent calyx ; it contains a single seed without 

 albumen, an embryo with plano-convex cotyledons, and 

 an inclosed superior radicle. 



The structure, then, is nearly that of Laurels, the 

 main difference consisting in the fruit being inclosed 

 in a berried calyx. I formerly supposed that more 

 valid distinctions existed, having been misled by a 

 description given by Nees v. Esenbeck. Mr. Gardner 

 has, however, shown that this was very erroneous 

 {Hooker's Journal, 2. 26), and he entertains no doubt 

 about the identity of Laurels and Dodder- Laurels. It 

 seems to me, however, better to keep them distinct 

 until some connecting link shall have been discovered, 

 if there be such a thing. 



The species are found in the hottest parts of the 

 world. 



Nothing is known of their uses. 



GENUS. 



Cassytha, L. 

 Volutella, Porsk 

 Calodium, Lour. 



Numbers. Gen. 1. Sp. 9. 



Cuscutaccce ? 

 Position. — Lauracete. — Cassythace^e.- 



Fig. CCCLXVII.- Cassytha filiformis. l.a flower ; 2. a fruit , 3. a section of it transversely. 

 (See Ann. des Sc. Nat, 3 ser., V. 247.) 



