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climbing plant* as is evident from his words, which are thus quoted by Matthiolus, " Ervum necat amplexu 

 " complexuque fuo," whereas the Orobanche of Dioscorides, according to the lame author, by its pretence only, 

 " fua tantum prefentia," deftroys the Legumina, Corn, Hemp, and Flax which grow near it, and from which 

 property of choaking and devouring the neighbouring plants, Matthiolus fays they called it in fome parts of 

 Italy the Wolf plant ; its pernicious effects in this refped are confirmed by a later Italian writer Micheli, who 

 mentions its being profcribed in Tufcany by public edict. 



The moft remarkable circumftance in the cecqnpmy of this plant, is its growing from the roots of others ; 

 Caspar Bauhine afferts, that it is always attached to the fibres (fibris) of fome plant near it ; feveral of my bo- 

 tanic friends are of opinion that it is not parafitical in all fituations, efpecially in corn fields, but they have not 

 confirmed their opinions by actual and repeated examinations, which are ftill wanting. The plants from the roots 

 of which Casp. Bauhine obferved it to grow were the Spartium Scoparlum, common Broom, Genijl a trattoria, 

 Woodwaxen, Hieraclum fubaudum, ftirubby Hawkweed, Trifolium, Trefoil, (no particular fpecies is mentioned), 

 and Orobus tuberofus, Wood Pea; all of thefe (one excepted) are leguminous plants, to which k is obferved to 

 have the ftrongeft attachment ; I have met with it but rarely about London, excepting one fpot, in which it might 

 be faid truly to abound ; this was a fmall, hilly, barren field, covered partly with furze and broom, on the left- 

 hand fide of the road, within about two miles of Kingfton, Surry, about half a mile beyond the Robin Hood and 

 Turnpike, in which field the Botanift will find feveral other rare plants. I have alfo feen it on Hampftead Heath, 

 and on the borders of Charlton Wood ; in thefe feveral fituations it grew either out of the roots of Broom or 

 Furze, but chiefly the former. My late gardener Robert Squibb once brought me out of Surry a very ftrong 

 plant of Orobanche, which had grown in a corn field on the root of the Centaurea Scabiofa : 1 planted both roots in 

 my garden, in the fituation they were found ; the Knapweed grew, but the Broom-rape died. Several^ perlons have 

 informed me of their having found it to be parafitical on the roots of Clover, in particular Dr. Goodenough 

 and Mr. Ruggles of Cobham ; Mr. Thomas White once related to me his having obferved a fmall Orobanche 

 growing on walls, &c. in Pembrokefhire, and that the decayed floor of an old cattle in particular was almoft: 

 covered with it; he alfo noticed, that in fome of the weftern counties this plant was (o common as to give the 

 mowers caufe of complaint. 



The Orobanche appears to vary in fize according to the fize of the root it grows on, the ft em being fometimes 

 almoft as thick as one's thumb, and at other times not much larger than a wheat-ftraw; the flowers vary much 

 in their colour, but are moftly dead-purple or yellowifh. 



The feed of this plant is remarkably fmall, hence it will be extremely difficult to (hew its vegetation by expe- 

 riment, more efpecially as it requires a very particular foil and fituation, yet no one can doubt but the plant is 

 propagated thereby ; it muft firft vegetate on the earth, then the radicle, which is fent downward, finding a proper 

 root, attaches itfelf to it, quits its parent earth, and becomes parafitical. 



It has a faint fmell of cloves, and is faid to be a ftrong aftringent and ufeful vulnerary. 



LiNNiEUS remarks that Sweden is too cold for it to flourifh with them. 



