434 FLORA OF TEXAS. 



prostrate pubescent herbs, with entire leaves, and small 

 floivers on axillary peduncles which are longer than the 

 leaves. 



S. HUMiSTRATA. Hairy and roughish; leaves petioled, 

 oblong, slightly cordate, obtuse or emarginate at the apex, 

 mucronate ; peduncles filiform, 1-7-flowered ; sepals ovate, 

 acute, smooth, fringed on the margins ; capsule smooth, 

 nodding ; hracts minute ; corolla white ; filaments hairy ; 

 styles united below. — Varies with linear or lanceolate, often 

 acute, nearly sessile leaves, shorter and uniformly 1-flow- 

 ered peduncles, and more pubescent sepals. (Convolvulus 

 humistratus, "Walt ; C. tenellus. Ell.) Dry sandy pine- 

 barrens. July-September. Stems 2°-3° long ; leaves l'-3' 

 long ; corolla 10" long ; capsule ovate, commonly 1-seeded, 

 crowned with a tuft of hairs when young. 



S. PiCKERiNGii, Gray. /S^em 2°-3° long, soft-pubescent; 

 leaves 12' -15" long, linear, obtuse, narrowed at the nearly 

 sessile base; peduncles 1-3-flowered ; bracts linear, as long 

 as the flower; sejmls ovate-lanceolate, very hairy, longer 

 than the pedicel ; corolla small, white ; styles united nearly 

 to the apex; stamens slightly exserted; corolla 5" long. 



CUSCUTA, Tourn. Dodder. 



Calyx 4-5-cleft, or 4-5-sepalous ; corolla globular-urn- 

 shaped, bell-shaped, or somewhat tubular, 4-5-cleft; sta- 

 mens 4-5, with fimbriate mostly confluent scales at the 

 base ; ovary 2-celled, 4-ovnled ; styles 2 ; stigmas capitate 

 (in our species) ; capsule 4-seeded ; embryo filiform, coiled 

 around fleshy albumen ; cotyledons none.— Twining para- 

 sites, germinating in the ground, but early decaying at the 

 root; stems filiform, yellow or reddish, without leaves, or 

 with minute scales in their place; floivers white, small, 

 variously clustered. 



