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O R O B A N C H E ramofa.
Branched Broom-rape.
JD ID T N A M IA Angiofpermia.
Gen. Char. Cal. 2-lipped. Cor. ringent. Capf. of
one cell, with two valves, and many feeds. A
gland at the bafeof the germen beneath.
Spec. Char. Stem generally branched. Corolla with
five fegments.
Syn. Orobanche ramofa. Linn. Sp. PI. 882. Hud/.
FI. An. 266. With. Bot. Arr. 658. Rati dry«.* 288.
M r . WOODWARD, who has fo admirably illuftrated
this rare plant in the Bot. Arr. and who is one of the few people
who have found it fince Ray’s time, was fo obliging as to
fend us this recent wild fpecimen from a field at Mettingham
in Suffolk, in which neighbourhood it grows plentifully, attached
to the roots of hemp in a parafitical manner, and
flowers in Auguft. -
The root is annual, a folid bulb, throwing out fleftiy fibres
which are entwined with thofe of the plant on which it grows.
Stem ereft, more or lefs obfcurely zigzag, and never quite
ftraight, clothed with a few fcattered brown fcales, and almoft
always branched, fometimes very copioufly fo. Spikes a continuation
of the ftem and branches, fet with numerous feflile
flowers, in an alternate order, with a brown concave bradtea
at the bafe of each- Calyx with 4 teeth, the 2 uppermoft very
diftant ■, it can hardly be called two-lipped. The 2 upper fegments
of the corolla are rather the fhorteft.
We are by no means convinced that the Orobanche /lore mi-
nore of Ray’s Synopfis is a variety of this, but are rather
inclined to refer it to O. major, if it be not a non-defcript
fpecies. Neither are we certain that Mr. Pitchford’s fpecimen
from Northreps is the fame with either. A flcetch
made from it when recent agrees better with O. purpurea of
Jacquin (not Linnaeus). The whole genus wants a thorough
inveftigation.