390 ' CUSCUTACEAE (DODDER FAMILY) 



globular, 2-ceIIed, 4-ovuled; styles distinct or rarely united; the stigmas glo- 

 bose or filiform. Embryo thread-shaped, spirally coiled, destitute of cotyle- 

 dons. 



CUSCUTA L. Dodder 



, Characters of the family. Seeds large, globular or angular by mutual 

 pressure. Germinating in the soil but scarcely rooting; the root and basal 

 portion perishing as soon as the parasite has attached itself to the host. , , 



Corolla spates crenate; stigmas filiform; capsule circvimscissile. 



Corolla surpassing the calyx . . . . . i 1. C. gracilis. 



OoroUa scarcely equaling the calyx . . ■ . .. . '. 2. 0. Antnemi. , 

 Corolla scales fringed; stigmas peltate-capitate: capsule indehiscent. 

 Calyx of 6 distinct sepals, subtended by sepal-like bracts. , . 

 ■ Bracts few, appressed, entire .• . '. . . . ■ ~ ', " 3. C. cuspidata. 



Bracts many (8-15),, recurved, serrulate 4. C. paradoxa. 



Calyx gamosepalous. 

 ' Ovary and capsule depressed-globose. 

 Corolla persistent at base of capsule. 

 Flowers sessile, in globular clusters. 



Scales large, deeply fringed 5. C. arvenais, , ,. 



Scales small and oifid,' or even kbortive .... 6. C. Polygonorum. 

 Flowers pediceled, in cymose panicles .... 7. C. 'plalttehsis.' 

 Corolla persistent, capping the capsule .< . ,. . . 8. CCephalanthi. 

 Ovary and capsule pointed. . , i 



Corolla persistent, inclosing the capsule . . . ' , 9. C. indecora. 

 Corolla persistent,t,capping the capsule. 



Scales obsolete or nearly so . . , ', ,- . .10. C Coryli. ' , 

 Scales 2-lobed, fringed in the sinus . . . . 11. C. megalocarpa. 



Corolla scales fringed, exceeding the tube; capsule circumscissile . 12. C. umb'ellata. 



1. Cuscuta gracilis Rydb. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 28: 501. 1902. Stems 

 filiform: flowers in dense globuto clusters: calyx gamosepalous but cleft 

 to near the base, lobes ovate: corolla urceolate, less than 2 mm. high; lobes 

 bvate, widely spreading, acute, delicate, about 1 mm. long; scales ovate, 

 crenate, almost half as long as the corolla-tube: filaments subulate, about 

 twice as long as the anthers: styles distinct, e^ual, about as loftg as and 

 sdmewhat thicker than the red, filiform, curved stigmas :'caps'iiile' about 2 mm. 

 high, acute-globose, circumscissile near the base: seeds about 1 mm. long. 

 — On Compositae, Mediccwo, etq.; Wyoming. 



2. Cuscuta Anthemi Al Nels. Stems delicately' slender-filamentous, only 

 2 or 3 (Jm. Jong: flowers sessile in capitate, few-flowered clusters^bcfuti^rmm. 

 in diameteir: calyxTlobes broadly ovate, acute, united, belo^y; the middle, some- 

 what imbricated, equaling or at first surpassing the corolla: corolla less than 

 2 mm. long; the lobes ovate, acute, equaling or longer than theibroadly cam- 

 panulate tube; scales oval, fringed around the summit with short processes: 

 fiWments about as long as the anthers: capsule globose, about 1 mm. in diam- 

 eter: stigmas Unear, purple, as long as the distinct equal styles; stigma arid 

 style together 1 mm. long: ovules 4, usually but one maturing.— On Artemisia 

 gnaphalades; Wyoming. 



3. Cuscuta cuspidata Engelm. Bost. Jpvffn. Nat. Hist. '5: 224. 1845. 

 Stems slender: flowers in loose panicles, 3-5 ihm. long, thin, membranous 

 when dry: sepals 5, ovaite-orbicular, subtendted by some similair bracts: 

 corolla-lobes shorter than the tube, cuspidate or mucronate, spreading; scales 

 narrow, about half as long as the tube, deeply and irregularly fringed: styles 

 many times longer than the ovary^ at lengA exfeeirted: capsule topped by the 

 withered corolla. — On various coarse herbs, as Ambrosia, Iva, many Legum- 

 mbsae, etc.; eastern, part of our range. ' ■! '', 



i. Cuscuta paradoxa Raf. Ann., Nat. 13. ,1820. Stems coarse, orange- 

 colored, soon withering away, leaving dense flower-clusters encircling in rope- 

 like masses the stems of the host: sepals recurved-'spreading, nearly equahng 

 the upwardly widening corolla-tube; the subtending bracts 8-15, serrulate- 

 tipped as are also the sepals: scales copiously long-fringed at the summit, 

 sparingly on the sides. C.^glopierata Choisy. — Scarcely , within our range; 

 eastward, on tall herbs, as Compositae, etc. 



