species. This, indeed, is the fact in the case of specimens
received from the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, by my
friend Mr. W. A. Leighton, the author of the valuable Flora
o f Shropshire.
Mr. Bowman says, “ Root originally growing in the soil,
but soon shrivelling up when the plant has fixed itself on
the stalk, and become strictly parasitical. Stem generally
simple, though occasionally branched above the heads, leafless,
wiry, climbing from west to east, throwing out small
warty excrescences from the side in contact with the flax.
Heads globular, on thick short lateral peduncles, containing
from 6 to 12 greenish-white flowers, and subtended by a
broad, obtuse, membranous, marcescent bractea. Individual
flowers sessile, without bracteas. Calyx succulent,
crystalline, white or cream-coloured: segments erect with a
thick broad keel, or deltoid, alternate with those of the
corolla, which it envelopes. Corollo membranous; tube globose,
segments somewhat succulent, erect, finally spreading
the length of the calyx. Stamens shorter than the limb,
inserted between the segments round the orifice of the tube;
united with it below; anthers as long as the free portion
of the filaments. Scales one underneath each stamen, geminate
or deeply bifid, somewhat varying in size and shape;
lobes divaricate irregularly and deeply cut, the fimbria 3 to
6, each in the fresh flower tipped with a pellucid gland,
which soon becomes absorbed, very delicate and transparent,
and connected together by a thin membrane, the
upper portion of which is free. The scales are situated
near the bottom of the tube, their tips not reaching so high
as the insertion of the stamens. Styles 2, filiform, not capitate,
divergent. Germen depressed. Capsule the same
shape, 2-celled; in each 2 seeds, which are large, becoming
subtriquetrous from mutual pressure during growth. Embryo
spiral, monocotyledonous.”
By Bartling and Bindley the embryo is considered as aco-
tyledonous, and for that and other causes, such as the fleshy,
not mucilaginous albumen, the scales in the throat of the
corolla, &c., they have rightly separated this genus from
Convolvulacece, and formed a new order under the name of
Cuscutacece. Endicher also has separated this genus from
Convolvulacece, and appears to consider it as a type of a
distinct order, although he has not raised it to that rank in
his work. He describes the embryo as “ filiformis, indivi-
sus, circa albumen carnosum spiraliter convolutus.” In
Convolvulacece the albumen is smaller in quantity and mucilaginous,
the 2 cotyledons foliaceous and corrugated.
• “ C. Epilinicn differs essentially from C. Europecea in its
pedunculated heads, in the globular tube of the corolla even
before the enlargement of the germen, in the insertion of
the stamens above the tips of the scales, and in the lobes of
the scales being divergent and fimbriated.” Also by the
nearly equal length of its calyx and corolla.
The absence of bracteas to the individual flowers is
contrary to Smith’s generic character, and their presence
under each of the heads is opposed to the specific character
given by all the authors to which I have access. I do not
find the general bractea present on any of the heads of specimens
distributed by Reichenbach as C. Epilinum (No. 19. of
his FI. Germ. Exic.), and I have Mr. Bowman’s authority
for stating that they are sometimes wanting on some of the
heads, even small young ones, although present upon others
on the same specimen of the English plant. It is quite
possible that they may exist in Reichenbach’s specimens
although I cannot see a trace of them ; for “ in old specimens
they often lie concealed between the stem and the head,
and being shrivelled, and the purple colour faded, they are
with difficulty distinguishable.” The scales and all other
parts of the plant correspond in the German and Welsh
specimens, and I feel no doubt of the species being identical.
Mr. Bowman has noticed considerable difference between
the scales of the Croesmere and Welsh Pool plants. The
latter are represented on the Plate, and in the former I find
(from the examination of dried specimens) that the scale is
often much more decidedly bifid, each branch having more
numerous segments than in the other specimens; but it is
sometimes scarcely bifid, still retaining the numerous segments,
or according to Mr. Bowman, at times “ blunt and
nearly entire.” I have been unable to prepare an outline
of these organs, on account of the imperfect state of my
Croesmere specimens; but that is of the less consequence,