342 CUSCUTA. [CLASS V. ORDER 11. 



Corolla wliite, of oue piece, the tube cylindrical, the limb of four or 

 fire ovate acute segments, as long as the tube. Staynens on slender 

 filamenls, with small ovate yellow antherj. Cer/ne'/i roundish, superior, 

 crowned with the two short erect simple styles and pinkish stigmas. 

 Capsule roundish, ovate, on a stalk about its own length, surrounded 

 by the withered corolla and calyx, the stalk on which it stands is the 

 pedicle, which was sun'ounded by the fleshy base of the calyx, which is 

 absorbed after germination has taken place, during the perfection of 

 the ovules. The capsule of two cells bursts transversely near the base 

 for the escape of the four roundish seeds, which are minutely punctured, 

 the hitiim with a depressed opening, the embryo spiral, round, the 

 central flesh albumen. 



Habitat. — Parisitical on nettles, flax, hemp, hop, box, &c ; rare. 

 Chiefly in the Midland Counties of England ; about Edinburgh, 

 Aberdeen, the Isle of Arran, Scotland; and in Ireland. 



Annual; flowering from July to September. 



C. Epili'num, Weihe, Flax Dodder. Stem simple, heads of about 

 five flowers ; corolla with a fleshy globose tube, longer than the some- 

 what spreading campanulate calyx. 



Reich. Ic. Bot. t. 500.— Hooker, British Flora, Ed. 4. vol. i. p. 109. 

 C. viajor. — Koch. et. Tiz. cat. pi. palat. p. 5. 



"Stem simple, yellowish green. Flowers fewer in ahead, and much 

 more succulent than in the preceding species, and cellular when seen 

 under a lens. Tube of corolla always globose. Filaments very short. 

 Calyx broad and spreading, with five bmad acute teeth." 



Habitat. — On flax, Ellesmere. — J. E. Rowman,Esq. 



Annual ; flowering in August and September. 



" This," Sir W. J. Hooker observes, " I believe to be quite a distinct 

 species ;" and that " it is abundant in Germany, (whence it was pro- 

 bably introduced with flax seed to us), and is very injurious to the 

 crops of this plant, upon which it is a parasite." 



Of the two species of Cuscuta first above mentioned, the greater 

 Dodder is easily distinguished from the lesser, by its more robust 

 growth and larger size. It is on the Continent as with us far less 

 common than the lesser Dodder, and like it seems indiscriminate 

 in the plants from which it derives its suppport. 



The Dodders, though less attractive in their appearance than many 

 other of our native plants, are, nevertheless, perhaps amongst the most 

 interesting to the student of nature, who delights to search out the 

 wisdom, the ways, and perfection of all things made by the Father of 

 the Universe. 



The seeds of the Dodder, as we have already described, are contained 

 in a two celled capsule, which bursts trauFvcrsely near the base for the 

 escape of the seeds: these falling to the ground remain in a dormant 



