388 THE BHOOMRAPE FAKILT. 



into the British Floras -.—O. Picridis (Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2956), a tall, very 

 pale-coloured variety, growing on the Kawkweed Picris ; O. amethystea, 

 assuming a bluer tint than any of the others, and growing on Eryngium ; 

 O. Hederce (O. barlata, Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2859), not uncommon on Ivy 

 in the south of England as on the Continent. It, is said to differ from 

 the common form in the yellow, not purple, colour of the stigma, and other 

 trifling characters, which however do not appear to be at all constant. 



6. Blue Brooiurape. Orobanche cseralea, Yill. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 423.) 



Stem simple or rarely branched, 6 to 9 inches high, with a light-bluish 

 tint. Flowers of a deep purplish-blue, with two small bracts at its base, 

 one on each side, besides the larger bract common to all Broomrapes. 

 Calyx usually closed at the back by a fifth tooth or lobe, much shorter and 

 broader than the others. Corolla-tube rather long and curved ; the 5 lobes, 

 although arranged in two lips, are less unequal, and less wavy than in the 

 preceding s]5ecies. 



Chiefly, if not exclusively, on the Milfoil Achillea ; not uncommon oh 

 the continent of Europe, and in west-central Asia. In Britain, only in grassy 

 pastures near the sea, in Norfolk, and in the Channel Islands. Fl. early 

 Slimmer. The O. arenaria, a larger plant, of a paler blue, parasitical on 

 Artemisias in light, sandy soils, is said to have been found also in Jersey ;• 

 but all the specimens so named from that island which I have seen, have 

 proved to be the ilite B. 



7. Branched Brooiurape. Orobanche ramosa, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 184.) 



Very much smaller than the blue B., of a pale straw-colour, with 

 smaller pale-blue flowers. Stem often branched, seldom above 6 inches 

 high. Flowers shaped Uke those of the blue B., and, like them, they have 

 two small lateral bracts besides the larger one ; but the calyx is split at 

 the back, and has only 4 lobes, as in the brown Broomrapes. 



On Hemp, Lucern, and some other crops, chiefly in southern Europe, 

 and has been found, though very rarely, in some of the southern and 

 eastern counties of England. Fl. summer. 



II. LATHRAIA. LATHE^A. 



'■ A single species, closely allied to the Broomrapes, but the flowers more 

 regular, the calyx broadly campanulate or inflated with 4 short broad lobes, 

 and the placentas to which the seeds are attached in the capsule are more 

 fleshy. 



1. Common Lathrsea. Xiathrsea squamaria, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 50. Tooth-wort.) 

 A pale rose-coloured plant, with flesh-coloured or slightly bluish flowers, 

 streaked with purple or dark red. Rootstock fleshy and creeping, covered 

 with close-set, short, thick, fleshy scales. Flowering stems erect, from 3 or 

 4 inches to near a foot high, with a few broad, orbicular, much less fleshy 

 scales, passing gradually into the bracts. Flowers numerous and nodding, 

 in a dense spike, or sometimes shortly stalked. Calyx about 5 lines long. 



