33 



be found in the tribe of parasitic plants, whether they be Phseno- 

 gamous or Cryptogamous. True Vegetable Parasites are plants 

 which not only grow upon others but live at their expense, and 

 those belonging to the flowering division may be divided into 

 two sections : 1st. Those having green foliage ; and, 2nd. Those 

 destitute of green foliage. Of Flowerless Parasites, the most 

 important are the various Fungi, such as " dry-rot," " blight/' 

 "smut," "ergot," "mildew," and "potatoe disease." The 

 actions of these lower forms of vegetable life are not well under- 

 stood ; we can understand and have control over the higher 

 organised forms, but the lower are often incomprehensible and 

 uncontrollable. We see them, but know not how or whence they 

 came, and, being ignorant of their origin, we are also ignorant of 

 their exit. 



The section of Flowering Parasites having green foliage is 

 typified in this country by the Mistletoe, found growing upon 

 the Apple, Poplar, Lime, and many other trees. The order to 

 which the Mistletoe belongs (Loranthacece) contains a large 

 number of genera and species which are natives of the East 

 Indies, Central America, and Africa. Many of them bear 

 branches of most beautiful flowers. The only other orders of 

 Leaf-bearing Parasites is the extensive one of ScropTiulariacecBj 

 and the small one of Santalacece. The former contains a con- 

 siderable number of partial parasitical genera ; the more remark- 

 able cases are those of the Pedicularis, Melampyrum, Gerardia, 

 Euphrasia, and BhinantJius. The first of these has some re- 

 presentatives in the Himalayas, which are surpassingly lovely, 

 but the degree of parasitism is too great to admit of their suc- 

 cessful cultivation. 



In the second section, viz., Parasites having no leaves, we 

 are astonished to find the largest flower in the vegetable king- 

 dom, — the gigantic Rafflesia, a plant composed of a single flower 

 three feet in diameter. In addition, there are the Broom Eapes 

 (Orobancliece) , the Yellow Bird's Nest (Monotropa), and the 

 "Dodders" (Ouscuta), which latter are perhaps the best known 

 and understood ; they are leafless, climbing herbs, of annual 

 growth, the seeds of which are introduced with foreign seeds, 

 such as Flax and Clover, in the cultivation of which crops they 

 are a serious impediment. 



