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 fame author, by its prefence only, 
“ fua tantum prefentiS,” 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 JVolf plant ; its pernicious effetts in this relpedl are confirmed by a later Italian writer Micheli, who 
mentions its being profcribed in Tufcany by public edict. 
The mod: remarkable circumftance in the oeconomy of this plant, is its growing from t'he roots of others j 
Ca c par 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 paraiitical in all fituations, efpecially in corn-fields, but they have not 
confirmed their opinions by a&ual and repeated examinations, which are Hill wanting. The plants from the roots 
of which Casp. Bauhine obferved it to grow were the Spa?-tium Scoparium, common Broom, Genijla tin&oria , 
Woodwaxen, Hieracium fubaudum , fhrubby Hawkweed, Trifolium , Trefoil, (no particular fpecies is mentioned), 
and Orobus tuberofus. Wood Pea ; all of thefe (one excepted) are leguminous plants, to which it is obferved to 
have the ftrongeft attachment; I have met with it but rarely about London, excepting one lpor, in which it might 
be laid 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 Botanifl: will find feveral other rare plants. I have alfo feen it on Hampflead 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 ltroug 
plant of Orobanche, which had grown in a corn field on the root of the Centaurea Scabiofa : I planted both roots in 
-my garden, in the fituation they were found ; the Knapweed grew, but the Broom-rape died. Several perfons 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 almofl 
covered with it ; he alfo noticed, that in fome of the wtftern counties this plant was lb 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 (lem 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 fhew 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 mull: 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. 
Linnaeus remarks that Sweden is too cold for it to flourilh with them. 
