Monography of the North American Cuscutinem. 333 



Art. VI. — A Monography of the North American Cusciitineoi ; 

 by George Engelmann, M. D., of St. Louis, Missouri. 



In directing my attention to the different forms of Cuscuta of 

 this vicinity, I was surprised to find several distinct species, as 

 well as a remarkable allied genus, while only a single species, 

 the Cuscuta Americana, is noticed in botanical works. Having 

 been induced to examine particularly as well the species of this 

 neighborhood, as the specimens with which my correspondents 

 in different parts of the country have favored me, I offer the re- 

 sult of my investigations to the public, with the view of direct- 

 ing the attention of botanists throughout our wide-spread country 

 to the subject ; trusting that this neglected tribe of plants may 

 thereby be further elucidated. I therefore avail myself of this 

 opportunity to request botanists in different parts of the country 

 to communicate specimens of the Cuscutcc of their vicinity, ac- 

 companied by the plant on which they grow. 



Order Convolvulace^e, R. Br. 

 Tribe. 3. Cuscutinem:, Link. 



Leaves reduced to scales. Embryo spirally rolled around a 

 mucilaginous albumen, without cotyledons. 



This remarkable tribe is appended to Convolvulacece, and bears 

 to that family the same relation which MonotropecB bear to Py- 

 rolacecB, and OrohanchecB to Antirrhinea, : these plants, which 

 may be likened to Phanerogamous Fungi, being all destitute of 

 verdure and of proper leaves, (bearing scales in place of the lat- 

 ter, but never leafless in the full meaning of the term ;) while in 

 the structure of their flowers they agree with plants of the high- 

 est organization. They are all parasitic on other vegetables ; the 

 Cuscutineae on their stems ; most Orobancheas on their roots j 

 and the Monotropese on their mouldering remains : hence they 

 are obviously analogous to the class Entozoa of the animal king- 

 dom ; and may be termed Epiphyta, growing on plants. 



The CuscutineEe are distinguished from other Epiphyta by 

 their growing on and turning around the stems (and occasionally 

 the leaves) of other plants, as well as by their large seeds, resem- 

 bling those of Convolvulus, and presenting a long and slender 

 embryo, which is spirally coiled around a mass of mucilaginous 



