Sdi- DODDER. 



tares, hops, broom, &c., in a direction contrary to the sun's ap- 

 parent motion, sending out from their under surface small tu- 

 bercles and papillas, which insinuate themselves into the bark of 

 the supporting plant and extract its vital juices ; they are large, 

 branched, and of a reddish colour. The flowers are nearly ses- 

 sile, of a pale yellowish rose colour, collected into globose clus- 

 ters. The calyx is inferior, persistent, with four, sometimes 

 five segments. The corolla is urceolate ; the limb regular, di- 

 vided into four or five deep, spreading segments. The stamens 

 are equal in number to the segments of the corolla, with erect 

 subulate filaments, and roundish two-celled anthers. The ger- 

 men is two-celled, surmounted by two short spreading styles 

 with simple stigmas. The fruit is an elliptical capsule, two- 

 celled, bursting transversely all round at the base ; the cells 

 usually two-seeded. The seeds contain a spiral acotyledonous 

 embryo in the midst of fleshy albumen. Plate 16, fig. 3, (a) the 

 extremity of the young shoot ; (6) a flover magnified ; (c) the 

 same opened to show the stamens ; (d) the pistil ; (e) the fruit ; 

 (/) the same cut transversely to show the two cells, each con- 

 taining two seeds ; (g) the seed, isolated. 



This is an annual plant, parasitic on several other vegeta- 

 bles, as already mentioned. It is found in several counties of 

 England, Scotland, and Ireland, though not very frequent. It 

 flowers in August and September. 



The term Cuscuta, an alteration of Cassutha, was derived 

 from the Greek xa.7crv&a, either from xa,(r<rvuj, to sew together, or 

 from the Arabic name of the plant, kessuth or chessuth. Some 

 of the ancients called it podagra lini, the gout of flax ; hence the 

 French goutte du I'm. Skinner supposes Dodder to have been 

 formed from the Dutch touteren, to shoot mjj. It has also received 

 the vulgar though expressive names of Hell-weed and Devil's- 

 guts. 



There is another British species, the Lesser Dodder, {^Cuscuta 

 Epithymum,) which is smaller than the foregoing, especially in 

 the flowers, which are usually four-cleft, and have a small fringed 

 scale at the base of each stamen. It is generally found on thyme, 

 heath, or furze. Eight or nine foreign species have been de- 

 scribed. Dodder is eaten by cows, sheep, and hogs, but dis- 

 liked by goats and horses. 



