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climbing plant, as is evident from bis words, which are thus quoted by M a t th io lu s , “ Ervum necat amplest,
« complexuque fuo,” whereas the Orobancbe of Dioscorides, according to thefame author,,by its prefence only,
“ fad tantum prefentia,” dcftrovs the Legutnina, Corn, Hemp, and Flax which grow near it, and from which
property of choaking and devouring tile neighbouring plants, Matthiolus fitys they called it in feme parts of •
Italy the Wolf plant-, its pernicious edefts in this rel'ped are confirmed,by a later Italian writer Micheli, who
mention's its being profcribed in Tufcany by public eclitft.
The mod: remarkable circumftance in the reconomy of this plaiit, is its growing flora the roots of others,
Caspar Bauhine afferts, that it is always attached to the fibres.f/Jr/jJ of fotne plant near it ; feveral of my botanic
friends are of opinion that it is not parafitical in all fituations, efpecially'in corn-fields but they have not
confirmed their opinions by aflual and repeated examinations, which are fttl'1 wanting. The plants from the roots
of which Casp. Bauhine. obfcrved it to grow were the SpartiumScoparnmh common Broom, Gemjta UnStona,
Woodwaxen, Hitracium fubaudum, (hrubby Hawkweed, Trifolium, Trefoil, (no particular fpectes IS mentioned),
and Orobus iuberotm, Wood Pea; all of thefe (one excepted) are leguminous plants, to which it is o.blerved to
have the ftrongeft attachment; I have met with it but rarely about London, excepting one Ipot, 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 Hampttead 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 R obert Squibb once brought me out of burry a very ftrong
plant of Orobancbe, which had grown in a com field cm the root of the Centaurea Scahofa: I planted both roots in
my earden, in the fituation they were found ; the Knapweed grew, hut the Broom-rape died, beveral potions have
informed me of their having found it to be parafitical on the.roots of Cloytr, in particular Dr Goodehotob
and Mr. Ruggi.es of Cobham ; Mr. T homas W hit e once related to me his having obfefved a fmall Orsbanche
„rowing on walls, &c. in Pembrokelhite, and that-the.decayed floor of an old cattle in particular was almoft
covered with it; he alfo noticed, that m fotne óf the wefteru counties this plant was fo common as to give the
mowers caufe of complaint.
The Orobanche appears to.vary in fize according to the fize of the root it grow son', the'ftefm 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 tfew its vegetation by experiment,
more efpecially as it requires a very particular foil and fituation, yet no one can doubt but the.pknt is
propagated thereby; it muft firft vegetate on the earth, then the radicle, which is ft nr. 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 aftringént and ufeful vulner’ary. .'
L inNjeus remarks that Sweden: is too cold for it to flourifli with them.