320 THE SOLANUM FAMILY. , [ Atropa. | 
tending over central Europe, chiefly about old castles. and ruins. In 
Britain, it is only found in similar localities in southern England, and a few 
stations further north, or in Ireland, probably the remains of former 
cultivation. J. summer. 
LV. OROBANCHACER. THE BROOMRAPE FAMILY. 
Herbs, of a brown or purplish colour, passing into yellow or 
blue, but never green, always parasitical on the roots of other 
herbs or shrubs ; the stems simple or rarely branched, erect, 
bearing scales of the same colour instead of leaves, and a ter- 
minal spike of flowers, each in the axil of a bract, similar to the 
scales of the stem, and accompanied often by a pair of smaller 
bracts at the base of the calyx. Calyx variously divided, 
usually into 2 or 4 lobes or sepals. Corolla broadly tubular or 
campanulate, often curved, the lobes more or less 2-lipped. 
Stamens 4, in 2 pairs. Anthers 2-celled, the cells parallel, and 
usually pointed at the lower end. Style single, with a 2-lobed 
stigma, Ovary and capsule I-celled, the latter opening in 
2.valves, with numerous small seeds attached to parietal 
placentas. 7 
A small Order, spread over the greater part of the globe, but chiefly in 
temperate climates, and more abundant in the old world than in America. 
The floral characters are nearly those of the Scrophularia family, with the 
exception of the ovary and capsule, which are never divided into cells, the 
placentas not joining in the centre. The absence of green leaves at once 
distinguishes it from all British species of that family. 
Calyx deeply divided into 2 or 4 pointed sepals A A ‘ . 1. OROBANCHE. 
Calyx with 4 broad, short teeth or lobes. Pea Tk . . &, LATHERA, 
I. OROBANCHE. BROOMRAPE. 
Calyx divided to the base on the upper side, and often also on the ~ 
lower side, so as to form 2 lateral sepals, either entire or 2-cleft, either 
distinct: from each other, or more or less connected at the base on the 
lower side, and sometimes on the upper side also by the intervention of 
a fifth lobe, and always pointed. Habit and other characters those of the 
family. 
It ts the principal genus of the Order, extending over the whole of its 
geographical range. The species are in general difficult to characterize. 
Some appear to thrive only on the roots of one species, or at most two or 
three closely allied ones, whilst others will grow on a great variety of 
plants of the most remote natural affinities. But as the particular stock — 
the plant feeds on occasions some modification in the habit of the parasite, — 
it is in many cases a matter of great doubt whether the differences observed 
are owing to this circumstance or to real specific distinction. It is not 
therefore improbable that some of the species here adopted, although much 
