LORANTHACEAE  

Aerial, hemiparasitic, moderate-sized to large shrubby perennial, reaching a height of perhaps 1 m or more; spreading by haustoria-bearing surface runners. Stems stout and robust, leaf-bearing shoots 3-5 mm thick, reddish brown, covered with thin greyish bark, peeling off in small strips; young branches densely shortly tomentose or glabrous on older branches. Leaves subopposite-alternate, rarely fascicled, obovate, (45-)55-66(-74) ' (25-)30-40(-45) mm, rounded at apex, cuneate at base, densely yellow-white tomentose when young, becoming glabrous and thickly coriaceous when older; margins entire, thickened; petioles 4-10 mm long. Inflorescence a 3-6-flowered umbel, often fascicled on swollen nodes of older branches; peduncles 4-5 mm long, covered by dense yellowish white tomentum at least 1 mm thick (trichomes with whorls arising from a central axis). Flowers 5-merous, tubular, variable, up to 45 mm long, with short pedicels 1-2 mm long and conspicuous oblong-linear bracts 4-5 mm long. Corolla gamopetalous, bilaterally symmetrical (the tube bearing only a short split 4-6 mm deep), yellowish white-tomentose; lobes erect, somewhat incurved apically. Filaments arising at base of corolla lobes, erect, but curving inward to form a central, collective anther mass, pinkish purple at apex; anthers up to 4 mm long, orange-yellow on inside. Style thickened and pubescent for half its length from below, thinner and glabrous above; stigma ellipsoid. Berry unknown.

Aerial, hemiparasitic shrubs of small to moderate size, probably not higher than 0.75 m, often appearing greyish due to short, dense tomentum on stems and leaves; older stems often greyish to reddish brown. Leaves alternate, shortly petiolate (2-6 mm), obovate-elliptical, 10-30 ' 3-20 mm. Flowers 4-merous, solitary, 1-3 in axils with short pedicels (1-3 mm). Calyx reduced to a short rim or forming a tube up to 2 mm long; bracts 2-3 mm long. Corolla stellate or lanate-pubescent, 25-40 mm long, with short unilateral split 5-7 mm long, outside mostly greyish green with variable shades of dull red, inside orange-reddish; lobes reflexed. Filaments +/- erect, 4-6 mm long; anthers locellate, +/- as long as filaments. Style essentially filiform but tapering slightly towards stigma. Berry mostly ellipsoid, 7-12 mm long, red. x = 9 (1 report).

Aerial, hemiparasitic shrubs, often large and pendent; branchlets slightly compressed, often with scales or stellate-hairy on young parts. Leaves opposite, subopposite or rarely ternate, mostly petiolate, usually somewhat coriaceous. Inflorescence a sessile to shortly pedunculate umbel or 2-several, axillary. Calyx annular to shortly tubular, subentire to shortly lobed. Corolla 5(exceptionally 6)-lobed, with dense stellate or dendritic hairs, tube longer than lobes, usually yellow or orange with red markings or more often reddish, but colours muted by indumentum; apical swelling of bud fusiform to globular, sometimes ribbed or narrowly winged; basal swelling variously developed; tube split unilaterally, the V-slit extending little more or less than +/- halfway, papillate along sutures; lobes erect. Filaments attached near base of lobes, linear, inrolled at anthesis; anthers oblong to linear-oblong, with 4-thecae transversely divided into several-many locules. Style slender, 5-angled or narrowly 5-winged, often expanded opposite filaments and narrowed opposite anthers, sometimes papillate or hairy; stigma globular to obovoid. Berry reddish, often blue to blue-green, ellipsoid or obovoid, mostly with persistent calyx.

Aerial, hemiparasitic shrubs of relatively small size, usually less than 0.5 m high, glabrous. Stems buff-coloured with usually dense lenticels and often greatly swollen, floriferous nodes; wood a dull pink (in living plants); haustorium expanding laterally and proximally along cambium from point of infection and enlarging with age and penetrating into xylem and erupting through cortex near shoots. Leaves mostly alternate, blades usually elliptic. Inflorescence a 2-6-flowered umbel with short peduncles and pedicels less than 2 mm long, solitary in axils or fascicled on older swollen nodes. Flowers 5-merous, gamopetalous, bilaterally symmetrical by the presence of a unilateral, V-shaped split +/- as long as erect lobes. Calyx cupular to tubular. Corolla with conspicuous basal swelling, mostly yellow sometimes bands of red, white, pink, and pale green in various combinations. Filaments coiled or curved at anthesis, with 2 minute (0.5 mm long) lateral appendages or teeth present 1-2 mm below anthers. Style filiform; stigma capitate. Berry red, usually ovoid, occasionally verrucose. x = 9.

Aerial, hemiparasitic, small to moderate-sized woody or succulent shrubs up to perhaps 0.5 m high, glabrous with mostly greyish to brownish stems. Leaves opposite-subopposite, broad to elongate, succulent to chartaceous. Inflorescence a terminal or axillary raceme, 15-40 mm long, 8-40-flowered. Flowers 4-merous, 5-15 ' 1-3 mm, whitish to reddish orange; pedicels short (1-3 mm). Corolla choripetalous; lobes reflexing from point where filaments arise. Filaments erect; anthers with or without locules. Style quadrangular or sometimes thickened basally. Berry rounded to ellipsoid, red to pink, smooth or warted. x = 9.