VrC j 3 ff 
Monograph?/ of the North American Cusbutincce. 333 * 
/Art. VI.— A Monography of the North American Cuscutinece; 
I by Georoe Engelmann, Mjp., of St)XiOtti’s, Missouri. 
In directing my attention to^the different forms of Cuscuta of 
this vicinity, I was surprised to find several distinct species, as 
well as a remarkable allied genus, while only a single species, 
the Cuscuta Americana*** noticed in botanical works. Having 
been induced to examiW^articuIarly as well the species of this 
neighborhood, as the specimens with which my correspondents 
in different parts of the country have favored me, I offer the re¬ 
sult of my investigations to the public, with the view of direct¬ 
ing the attention of botanists throughout our wide-spread country 
to the subject; trusting that this neglected tribe of plants may 
thereby be further elucidated. I therefore avail myself of this 
opportunity to request botanists in different parts of the country 
to communicate specimens of the Cuscutm of their vicinity, ac¬ 
companied by the plant on which they grow. 
Order Convolvulace^:, JR. Br. 
Tribe. 2. Cuscutineje, Link. 
Leaves reduced to scales. Embryo spirally rolled around a 
mucilaginous albumen, without cotyledons. 
*piis remarkable tribe is appended to Convolvulacea, and bears 
to that family the same relation fjgrhich Monotropece bear to Py- 
folacea, axA Qrobanchece to Antirrhinecc: these plants, which 
may be likened to Phanerogamous Fungi, being all destitute of 
verdure and of proper leaves, (bearing scales in place pf the lat¬ 
ter, totmever leafless in the full meaning of the term ;) while in 
the structure of their flowers they agree with plants of the high¬ 
est organization. They are all parasitic on other vegetables ; the 
Cuscutinece on their stems; most Orobanchece on their, .roots; 
and the Monotropece on their mouldering remains: hence they 
are obviously analogous to the class Entozm of the animal king¬ 
dom ; and may be termed Epiphyta , growing 011 plants. 
The Cuscutinese are distinguished from,other Epiphyta by 
their growing on and twining around the stems (and occasionally 
the leaves) of other plants, as well as by their large seeds, resem¬ 
bling those of Convolvuli, but presenting a long and slender 
.embryo, which is spirali^coiled around a mass of mucilaginous 
