EROOM-RAPE FAMILY 37 I 



15. 1'. moiitdna (Mountain Speedwell). — A similar species, but 

 with stem hairy all round: leaves stalked; fewer, smaller, paler 

 flowers in a shorter raceme ; and capsule tauch longer than the 

 calyx. — Moist woods; common, — Fl. ilay — September. Peren- 

 nial. 



16. 7'. siutdldta (Marsh Speedwell). — A weak, straggling, 

 generally glabr^^us plant ; leaves sessile, linear-lanceolate, slightly 

 toothed ; flowers pale pink in alternate racemes ; capsules of 2 

 large, flat, round lobes on slender refleied stalks. — ^Marshes : 

 common. — Fl. June — August. Perennial., 



17. I'. Aiiaodllisaqudtica (Water Speedwell). — A stout, gla- 

 brous, succulent, erect, slightly-branched -plant, i — 2 feet high ; 

 stem hollow ; leaves sessile, sometimes auricjed, lanceolate, serrate ; 

 flowers i in. across, pale pink or white, in opposite racemes. — 

 Stagnant water ; common. — Fl. June — August. Perennial. 



18. 1 . Beccabi'tttga (Brooklime). — A ve|"y similar species, but 

 smaller, with stem rooting at the base; stalked, oval, blunt, 

 slightly serrate leaves ; and opposite racemes of bright blue 

 flowers. ~ in. across. — Brooks and ditches; common, growing 

 with \\'atercresses and Water-Parsnip, — 1^1. !Ma}- — September, 

 Perennial. 



OrD, L"\"I. OROr;AXCHArF._F, — Rroo^i-rape Famit.v 



A small Order of succulent, brownish plants, all of which are 

 either parasitical on the roots of other plants or are p^artly sapro- 

 phytes, living, that is, upon decaying organic matter. They have 

 no true leaves, but are more or less clothed with fleshy, pointed 

 scales, which are most abundant near the base of the stem. The 

 flowers are large for the size of the plant, and arranged in a spike 

 or raceme, with one or more scale like bracts at the base of each 

 flower. The calyx is persistent : the corolla monosymmetric, 

 tjsually 2-lipped, imbricate in the bud, persistent ; stamens 4, 

 didynamous; ovary in a fleshy disk, i-chambered, many-ovuled ; 

 style 1, stigma 2-lobed, capsule 2-valved ; seeds small, numerous, 

 parietal. The seeds, it is said, will lie buried for some years in 

 the ground Avithout germinating, until they come in contact with 

 the young roots of some plant adapted to their want-s, when they 

 immediately sprout, and seize on the points of the roots, which 

 swell, and ser\-e as a base to the parasite. There are but two 

 English genera belonging to this Order, 0-rpbdiiche and Lathn'ea, 

 some species of which are confined to particular species of host 

 plants, whilst others have a wider range. Thesi)tc\tioWrohdnche 

 are difficult to discriminate. 

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