Vol.. III.] 



DODDER FAMILY. 



2 7 



Family 20. CUSCUTACEAE Dumort, Anal. Fam. 20. 1829. 



Dodder Family. 

 White or yellow slender parasites, dextrorsely twining, the leaves reduced to 

 minute alternate scales. Calyx inferior, 5-lobed or 5 -parted (rarely 4-lobed or 

 4-parted), or of 5 distinct sepals. Corolla campanulate, ovoid, urceolate or 

 cylindric, 5-lobed (rarely 4-lobed), the lobes imbricated in the bud, the tube 

 bearing as many fimbriate or crenulate scales as there are lobes and alternate 

 with them, or these sometimes obsolete. Stamens as many as the corolla-lobes 

 and alternate with them, inserted in the throat or sinuses above the scales, short- 

 exserted or included; filaments short or slender; anthers short, ovate or oval, 

 obtuse, 2 -celled, the sacs longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary globose to oblong, 

 2-celled; ovules 2 in each cavity; styles 2, terminal, separate, or rarely united 

 below; stigmas linear or capitate. Capsule globose or ovoid, circumscissile, 

 irregularly bursting or indehiscent, 1-4-seeded. Seeds glabrous, globose or 

 angular; embryo linear, terete, curved or spiral, its apex bearing 1-4 minute 

 alternate scales, endosperm fleshy; cotyledons none. 



1. CUSCUTA L. Sp. PI. 124. 1753. 



Characters of the family. The filiform twining stems are parasitic on herbs and shrubs 

 by numerous minute suckers. The seeds germinate in the soil and the plantlet attaches it- 

 self to its host, its root and lower portion soon perishing. The subsequent nutrition of the 

 parasite is apparently wholly through its suckers. Indications of a small amount of coloring 

 matter, possibly chlorophyll, have been observed in one species. [Name from the Arabic] 



About 100 species, of wide geographic distribution. Besides the following, some 15 others 

 occur in the southern and western parts of North America. Known as Dodder, or Strangle-weed. 



4f Corolla-scales crenulate ; stigmas slender ; capsule circumscissile. 

 Scales crenulate above, not incurved. 1. C. Epilinum. 



Scales crenulate all around, strongly incurved. 2. C. Epithymum. 



Jf -Jf Corolla-scales fringed; stigmas capitate; capsule indehiscent. 

 Sepals united below into a gamosepalous calyx. 



Flowers very nearly sessile; corolla persistent at the base of the capsule. 



Corolla-scales ovate, fringed all around; calyx-lobes obtuse. 3. C. arvensis. 



Corolla-scales abortive, or of a few processes: calyx-lobes acutish. 4. C. Polygonoruvi. 

 Flowers distinctly pedicelled; corolla enclosing or capping the capsule, or at length deciduous. 

 Tips of the corolla-lobes incurved or reflexed. 



Scales ovate, fringed all around; capsule enclosed by the corolla. 5. C. indecora. 

 Scales abortive, or of a few slender processes; corolla capping the capsule. 



6. C. Coryli. 

 Corolla-lobes spreading or recurved. 



Scales small, irregularly fringed; capsule depressed-globose. 

 Scales long, fringed mainly above; capsule pointed. 

 Corolla i l A" long; capsule globose, short-pointed. 

 Flowers 2"-^" long; capsule oval, long-pointed. 

 Sepals separate, subtended by similar bracts. 



Flowers cymose, pedicelled; scales short; bracts entire. 

 Flowers closely sessile in dense clusters; bracts serrulate. 

 Bracts few, broad, appressed; styles as long as the ovary. 

 Bracts numerous, narrow, their tips recurved; styles longer than the ovary. 



12. C. paradoxa. 



i. Cuscuta Epilinum Weihe. Flax 

 Dodder. (Fig. 2956.) 



Cuscuta Epilinum Weihe, Archiv. Apoth. 8: 54. 1824. 

 Cuscuta densiflora Soyer-Willem. Act. Soc. L,inn. 



Paris, 4: 281. 1826. 



Stems very slender, yellow or red; flowers ses- 

 sile in dense clusters, yellowish white, about \ l />." 

 long. Calyx hemispheric, 5-lobed, the lobes 

 ovate, acute, as long as the corolla-tube; corolla 

 short, cylindric, becoming urceolate, 5-lobed, the 

 lobes ovate, acutish, spreading, its scales short, 

 erect, less than one-half the length of the tube, 2- 

 cleft or emarginate, crenulate above, the crenula- 

 tions not extending to the base; stigmas linear-fili- 

 form; capsule circumscissile, the withering corolla 

 borne on its summit. 



On flax, Nova Scotia to New Jersey and Pennsylva- 

 nia. Introduced from Europe. Native also of Asia. 

 July-Aug. 



7. C. Cephalantlii. 



8. C. Gronovii. 

 q. C. rostrata. 



10. 



11. 



C. cuspidata. 

 C. compacta. 



