OKOBANCHE RUBRA. RED OR BASALTIC BROOM-
RAPE.
OROBANCHE rubra; caule simplici, corolla tubulosa, labio superiore bilobo, inferiore trilobo lobis
obtusis asqualibus, staraimbus hinc glanduloso-pilosis, bracteis solitariis.
OROBANCHE rubra. Smith Engl. Bot. t.\7 Z 7 . Compcni. Fl. Brit. ca. s . ~p. 95
Class a n d Ord er . DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA.
[Natural Ord e r . RHINANTHACEiE, Div. II. OROBANCHEA, Capsula monolocularis, bivalvis-
valvulis hbens in nervo longitudmali seminiferis. De Cand. PEDICULARES, Juss.~\ |
Gen. Char. Calyx e foliolis duobus, lobatis, lateralibus. Corolla ringens. Capsula unilocularis bivalvis do-
lysperma. Glandula sub basi germinis. Sm. '■ ’ ’ ^
Gen. Cha r. Calyx composed of two lobate, lateral leaves. Corolla ringent. Capsule one-cel]ed, bivalved manv-
seeded. Glands under the base of the geraien. Sm. ’ *
Rad.IX fibrosa, fibris sublignosis, flexuosis, fuscis.
Tota Herba, bracteis exceptis, coccinea, in floribus
. purpureo-tincta.
Cacjlis palmaris ad spithamteam et ultra, erectus, simplex,
subteres, basi incrassatus, subbulbosus, su-
perne sensirn attenuatus, glanduloso-hirsutus, vi-
scidus, squamosus; squamis inferne minoribus,
numerosis, imbricatis, superne distantibus, omnibus
fusco-coccineis, ovatis, acuminatis, subgla-
bris. 5
Fiores in spicam oblongam terminalem, circiter viginti
odorati.
Bracteie solitarias, squamas caulinas simulantes.
Calyx e foliolis duobus, bractea minoribus, lanceolatis.
Corolla unciam, longa, tubulosa, ventricosa, leviter
curvata, basi angustata, longitudinaliter venosa,
extus glanduloso-hirsuta, bilabiate, labio superiore
bilobo, lobis brevibus, crenulatis, inflexis, lobulo
intermedio minuto, inferiore trilobo, lobis paten-
tibus, asqualibus, erenatis.
Stamina quatuor, didynamia, basi corollas inserta, corolla
breviora. Filamenta subulata, planiuscula,
basi apiceque glandulosa.
Anther.® biloba?, subtus acuminatse, lobis superne de-
hiscentibus, glabris.
Pistillum staminum longitqdine.
Germen anguste ovatum, glabrum, utrinque sulco lon-
gitudinali.
Stylus elongatus, attenuatus, substigmate curvatus,hinc
paululum glandulosus.
Stigma nutans, magnum, bi- vel tri-lobuin, lobis rotun-
datis. v
Pericarpium : Capsula oblongo-ovata, stylo longo ter-
ininata, sulcis sex longitudinalibus notata, longitudinal
iter dehiscens (bivalvis) unilocularis.
RECEPTACULA quatuor, parietalia, in singula valva duo,
longitudinalia, prominentia. .
Semina minutissima, numerosa, subglobosa, fusca,
punctis profundis excavatis reticulata.
Albumen semini conforme, album, aquoso-carnosum.
Root fibrous, fibres subligneous, flexuose, brown.
Whole P lant, bracteas excepted, o f a purplish-red
the flowers being most inclining to purple. '
St em from three inches to a span and upwards in height,
erect, simple, nearly round, thickened at the base!
somewhat bulbous,- gradually becoming narrow
upwards, rough with glands, viscid, scaly, the
lower-scales the smallest, numerous, imbricated
the upper ones more scattered, all o f a dark red’
ovate, acuminated, nearly smooth.
Flowers in an oblong, terminal spike, about twenty in
number, sweet-smelling.
Bracteas solitary, resembling the cauline scales.
Calyx o f two leaves, smaller than the bractea, lanceolate.
Corolla an inch long, tubular, ventricose, slightly
curved, narrower at the base, longitudinally veined,
externally rough with glands, bilabiate, the
, PPPer “P two-lobed, the lobes short, crenulated
inflexed, the intermediate lobule very small; the
inferior lip three-lobed, the lobes patent, equal,
crenulated.
Stamens four, didynamous, inserted at the base of the
corolla, shorter than the corolla. Filaments subulate,
flatfish, glandulose a t the base and apex.
An th ers bilobed, acuminated beneath the lobes, separating
above, smooth. 1
P is t il the same length as the stamens.
Ge rm en narrowly ovate, smooth, longitudinally ^furrowed
on each side.
Sty l e elongated, attenuated, curved beneath the stigma
on one side slightly glandular.
St igma drooping, large, two- or three-lobed, the lobes
round.
P e r ic a r p ; Capsule oblongo-ovate, terminated by a lone
style, marked with six longitudinal furrows, spliL
ting longitudinally (bivalved), one celled. r
Receptacles four, parietal, two in each valve longitudinal,
prominent.
Seeds very minute, numerous, nearly globular, brown
reticulated with deeply indented points. ’ 1
Albumen the same form as the seed : white, between
aqueous and- fleshy.
Embryo situated in the lower part of the albumen. Cotyledons
hemispherical. Radicle inferior.
Embryo in parte inferiore albuminis, subglobosus. Co-
tyledones hemisphterica?. Radicula infera.
1. Corolla. Fig. 2. the same laid open. Fig. 3. Stamen. Fie. 4. Pistil. Fie 5 Stiama raw « m
ular han-s of the Corolla. Fig. 7. Capsule (not. size). Fig. 8. the same (magn.)°Fi'<r. o f^ansule cut n,v T
J e^ ? PtaCleSn P H PGrCio,i0favalve with the seeds on the receptacles. k l l S e f t H
4 £ d ^ °a y t0 Sh°W thealbumen and embryo. Fig. IS. Embryo—all butFig. 7. more or im mag-
J f r w?rf no^ from a fear of subjecting myself to the imputation of making unnecessary rhanm*« in „
nowund t ie P ?nts .tbat * describe, I should be very much disposed to alter the specific appellation o f tlfpTnp
the 1]orKn1' consi.der.at‘on> to Orobanche basaltica, thereby conveying to the student who knows the plant onlv in
h herbanum, the information of its remarkable and peculiar choice of places o f growth As far as I
i" 1809: and, ainc^lhat toe, ».Templet Bill | l | -ha s w S S i f f l B W K M i l baPPy
*° g l s 0PrSalub„;yGc 4 e; S i Edinburgh!*1 0rmC^ ““ “ ° ' stiU '*>“ '* «<•
its W I I IW Im B opmto of the parasitic nature of this plant, tore was no appe’arance whatever of
from anv otW ■ had M opportunity of examining it; most of the specimens growing at a distance
is most remarkal p0« T* &S i 111 llisu’la'tec[ ainong the natural soil and fragments of the rock! Its colour
alslo i S P lts. bei"g discoverseed.n i!n° ait s ennacteiv teo hdaiustnitnsg uwiisthh igtr feraotm e aesvee bryy kthnoew ena gsepre bdoetsa noifs tt.h is difficult °genus as1
It is extremelv diffirTi§f arly-8landUlff;r,-anCl ihe cal?x is composed of two undivided leaflets,
basalt. Were ft a H W i S M a ,Suffic,e^ reason tor the predilection which the O. rubra appears to have for
which would bo im L ’-S kCf tbeioog and strong roots were capable, not indeed of penetrating that substance
I I but of inking its fibres into the crevices of these rocks, it might be more easy to sfl
|be superjacent earth8 ™?1L m Z T H f S :& s“bstance bl? ak and chip into dust, and thus mingle with
ISaplantof but litrio S 1 ^0n,ceiJ® tbat Pecu,'ar plants might like that peculiar soil: but as the Orobanche
far from doW it jW B S ^nd that of bat Jltfcle strength; and as the surface o f basalt never crumbles, but is so
P.e«r to have adhered from off it leaving exposed the rock, to which it does not at all ap-
Clrcumstance d> 1 f q 1 1 a loss to exPlaln what al Present seems a very certain, though a mysterious