CUSCUTA EUROPJEA. GREATER DODDER.
CUSCUTA europeea; floribus sessilibus, corolla fauce nuda, stigmatibus acutis.
CUSCUTA europtea. Linn. Sp. P l.p . 280. Smith E ngl. Bot. t. 378. Fl. B r it.p . 282. Oed. Fl.
Dan. t. 199- Alton Hort. Kew. ed. 2. vol. l.p .3 7 5 . Hoffm. Germ. vol. 1. 1). 80. Willd.
Sp. PI. vol. 1 .p . 702.
CUSCUTA major. Decand. Fl. Fr. ed. 3. vol. 3 .p . 644. Fl. Gall. S yn.p. 242.
CUSCUTA vulgaris. Pers. Syn. PI. vol. 1. p. 289.
CUSCUTA Epithymum. With. Bot. A rr. ed. 4. vol. 2. p. 3,07 ?
Bohem. Koholue. Dan. Horsilke. Vild-hör. Dut. Warkruid. Fr. Goute de Zin. Barbe de Moine.
Germ. Hachsseide. Flachsdotter,undLiendotter. Hung. Aranyka. It. Lino di Lepre. Pol. Kania
przeda. Port. Cuscuta maior. Span. Joyo Lino. Joyo-retama. Swed. Snarrejva. Silke. H im -
melbinda.
Class a n d Order. PEN TA N D R IA DIGY N IA .
[N atural Order. CONVOLVULACEÆ, Juss. Decand. Braam. D iv . EMBRYO ACOTYLEDO-
NEUS.]
Ge n . Ch ar. Calyx quinque- raro quadrihdus. Corolla globoso-urceolata, limbo quinquefido, marcescens.
Ovarium biloculare, loculis dispermis. Capsula bilocularis, circumscissa. Herbæ aphylloe, volubiles, parasitica.
Flores aggregate subcapitati vel spicati, unibracteati. Squamae quinque epipetalee, infra filament a, iisdem-
que opposita, raro déficientes. Brown Prodr.
Radix e processubus vel tuberculis minutis caulium.
Caules parasitici, graciles, filiformes, volubiles, aphylli,
glabri, rufi.
Flores in capitulis densis lateralibus congesti.
Calyx pallide rufescens, cyathiformis, quadri- vel quin-
que-dentatus, laciniis erectis.
Corolla ovato-globosa, inflata, pallide lutescenti-alba,
limbo quadri-vel quinque-dentato, segmentis pa-
tentibus.
Stamina quatuor vel quinque, intra corollas lacinias.
Filamenta perbrevia, curvata. Antheras rotun-
dato-quadratæ, albicantes.
Germen corollam totam implens, globosum, biloculare,
album. Styli duo, subdivaricati. Stigmata acuta.
Pericarpium, capsula globosa, corolla marcescente
tecta, bilocularis, prope basin circumscissa, loculis
dispermis.
D issepimentum liberum, basi affixum, seminiferum.
Albumen aquosum, pallidum.
Embryo spiralis, longus, filiformis, acotyledoneus.
Root consisting of processes or minute tubercles on the
stalks.
Stems parasitic, slender, filiform, twining, leafless
smooth, red.
Flowers collected in dense lateral heads.
Calyx pale reddish, cyathiform, four,-or five-dentate
with erect segments.
Corolla ovato-globose, inflated, pale yellowish white
the limb four- or five-dentate, with the segments
patent.
Stamens four or five, between the segments of the corolla.
Filaments short, curved. Anthers roundish
quadrate, whitish.
Germen filling the whole corolla, globose, two-celled
white. Styles two, somewhat spread out. Stigmas
acute.
Pericarp, capsule globose, covered by the shrivelled
corolla, bursting horizontally near the base, two-
celled, cells two-seeded.
D issepiment free, except at the base where the seeds
are attached.
Albumen watery, pale.
Embryo spiral, long, filiform, acotyledonous.
Fig. 1. Flower. Fig. 3. Corolla, germen and anther. Fig. 3. Calyx. Fig. 4. Germen cut horizontally to show
the seeds and the dissepiment. Fig. 5. Capsule covered by the withered corolla. Fig. 6. Disssepiment, the
upper part of the capsule (fig. 7, in which two seeds still remain) being removed. Fig. 8. and 9. Seeds.
Fig. 10. Seed cut open to show the Embryo. Fig. 11. Embryo.—All magnified.
Communicated by J . E. Bicheno, Esq., from a hedge in a lane leading from Greenham-common to Chamber-
house, near the town of Newbury, Berkshire, where it grows in great abundance. I t is found elsewhere in that
county and in several others, and likewise in Scotland ; but though not a plant of very common occurrence, it is by
no means so rare as the smaller species of the genus, Cuscuta Epithymum. This grows on thistles, nettles, and
such like tall plants, flowering late in the summer, whilst the other prefers the stalks of Erica, plants of humble
growth, such as are usually found on poor and heathy soils.
This singular genus, destitute as it is of any appearance of leaves, offers a corresponding peculiarity in its embryo,
which exhibits no traces of cotyledons. This unusual circumstance was, according to Mr. Brown, first noticed
by Linnæus in the 2d edition of his Species Plantarum *.
Besides the much larger size of Cuscuta europcea, as compared with C. Epithymum, an essential difference has
always been supposed to exist in the absence of scales in the present species; which circumstance however is denied
by Mr. Brown, who says “ unica inedita absque squamis epipetalis quæ in C. europcea et monogyna certe extant.”
Aware that I made my drawing and descriptions under the impression that these scales did not exist, and
conscious of the extreme degree of accuracy attending on all the observations of this learned Botanist, I thought
it possible that I might be mistaken, and subjected my dried specimens to a strict investigation : but, being unable
to detect their existence, I can only suppose that Mr. Brown has been mistaken in the species, or, what is far more
probable, that the flowers of this plant may vary in respect to these little appendages. In English Botany, however,
where is given a tolerably highly magnified and clear figure of the corolla, they are not noticed, nor are they
in a little German work now before me, Sturms Deutschland Flora, where considerable attention is paid to the
dissection of the parts of fructification.
* Its germination is thus described by Mirbel in the first volume of his Elément de Botanique, p. 80. “ La Cuscute, plante parasite
privée de cotylédons, enfonce dans la terre son caudex descendant, et déploie son caudex ascendant et une tige sans feuilles, aussi déliée
qu’un fil. Cette tige, qui ne tarde pas à se ramifier, enveloppe dans ses replis les herbes voisines, s’attache à leur écorce par des petit*
suçoirs, se dessèche à sa partie inférieure, et finit par se séparer de la terre dont elle n’a plus besoin.”