OF THE GENUS CUSCUTA. 
73 
I 
The shape and proportion of calyx and corolla and of their parts (tube and lobes) furnish ii 
important but not unchangeable characters* Their texture must be studied, and often gives an Ej 
important clue to the distinction of species. |g 
It is unnecessary to repeat what has been said by former monographers about these points* but g 
it may not be useless to indicate a few facts not so clearly stated by them. || 
The tube of the calyx,, generally more or less campanulate or hemispherical, is angular in some lj 
species, the angles corresponding to the commissure, or to the midrib of the sepals. Its lobes are 0 
more or less deeply divided, and are often auricled at base, and overlapping; these characters, how- | 
ever, are not very constant and reliable, as they not rarely depend on the rich nourishment and |jg 
consequent vigorous growth of the parasite. The texture of the calyx is homogeneous in 
some species, and either fleshy or membranaceous (often very thin, shining, or semi- [456 (6)] H 
transparent, when dry), with a small or large reticulated cellular tissue ; or it exhibits, 
especially along the middle and towards the base an aggregation of warts or tubercles; these, also, H 
are not constant in all the forms of the species. In other species, fie tissue shows roundish or elon¬ 
gated pellucid dots or cells (glands, as they are usually called), very distinct in dried and then soaked 
specimens. 
The tube of the corolla is cylindric or eampanulate, or rather- hemispherical or quite shallow, 
but never urceolate or ventricose during the flowering period; the swelling of the impregnated ovary, 
however, often gives it that shape. The lacimse 1 of the corolla are of different shape, and direction, 
and proportion, and also sometimes auriculate and imbricate at base;; their points are occasionally 
incurved, or their margins revolute, or involute; their margin, usually entire, is sometimes crenulate. 
The texture of the corolla is similar to that of the calyx, but never, I believe, verrucose, though often 
glandular. Its cellular structure will yet, I suspect, offer good characters for some species, the cells 
being of very different size and shape in different species. The corolla, and sometimes the calyx, is 
occasionally covered with small papillae, which probably represent hairs, giving it a mealy appearance. 
This character, apparently so striking, is, however, of no more specific value than the pubescence in 
other plants, as I find papillose varieties of a number of European ( C.planiflora , 67. Babylonica) and 
American ((7. decora, etc.) species, of course with intermediate forms. Of a single species ((7. capi¬ 
tated), I know only the papillose form. 
The calyx is always persistent; the corolla is deciduous only in the Indian 67. reflexa ; in all the 
other species it remains adhering to the capsule, either to its base, or, hood-like, to its top, or it com¬ 
pletely envelops it, but it is not properly persistent; it is distended from the swelling of the capsule, 
but does not seem to grow. The position of the dead corolla is usually constant. 
The stamens are mostly inserted in the very throat of the corolla, alternating with the lacinise, 
but often exteriorly covered by their overlapping bases In Callianehe and Monoyymlla their point 
of insertion is usually below the throat, and the filaments are very short. The filaments in the 
other Ouscutce are more or less flattened, linear, or subulate; of different lengths, but usually much 
shorter than the lacinise; they are rarely absent The anthers are orbicular, ovate, oblong 
or linear, cordate or sagittate, blunt, emarginate, or apiculate, large or small; but their [45T (7) ] 
shape or size do not afford good and constant characters in this genus. 
The most peculiar organs of the flower are the epistamineal scales, which are found in 
most of the species. The simplest form of that organ, (in 67. infiexa, 67. chlorocarpa , etc.) exhibits 
a few teeth or lobes laterally adhering to the lower (attached) part of the filament. These lobes 
in other species expand into membranes, forming two lateral wings to the filament, crenulate or 
fringed at the tip and outside; then these wings partly unite at their upper end, thus forming a 
single bifid scale ; finally they unite entirely, forming an oblong, ovate, spatulate or truncate, more 
1 1 shall use the word lacinice for the divisions of the corolla, and lobes- for those of the calyx. 
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Botanical 
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