246 CLASSIFICATION 



a common aquatic herb with sagittate leaves often 

 used as a vegetable; bhuin-kumrha {Ipomcea pani- 

 culata); I. pes-tigridis, a hirsute twining plant with 3- 

 to 9-lobed leaves (fig. 213), and several other species 

 oi Ipomcea; taru-lata {Quamoclit pinnata), cultivated 

 as . a garden climber, with its pinnately- dissected 

 leaves and deep-red tubular flowers; samudra-shok 

 {Argyreia speciosa), an extensive garden climber with 

 cordate leaves, which are silvery on the under surface, 



Fig. 213. — Langii-Iata l^Ifiomcea pes-tigridis) 



with silky hairs and large rose-coloured flowers; alak- 

 lata or Dodder {Cuscuta reflexa) (see fig. 4), a com- 

 mon leafless twining whitish-yellow thread-like para- 

 sitic herb. The seeds of Cuscuta germinate in the 

 soil, and the seedling lays hold of some neighbouring 

 plant to which it attaches itself early in life by suckers. 

 When thus well established on its host, its connection 

 with the ground is cut off and the plant becomes 

 wholly parasitic. Compare Cuscuta with Cassytha 

 {Lauracece), which is a parasite similar in appear- 

 ance to Cuscuta, but pale-green instead of pale- 

 yellow. 



The flowers are usually brightly coloured and 



