90 



FLORA OF JAMAICA 



Phtliirusa 



2. PHTHIRUSA Mart. 



Shrubby. Roots inside and outside the cortex of the host, those 

 outside creeping along a branch and inserting haustoria. Leaves 

 opposite, decussate, more or less leathery. Inflorescence, flowers 

 solitary or in groups of three arranged in terminal and axillary 

 spikes, racemes or panicles. Bract and bracteoles fleshy, cupuli- 

 form at base. Flowers very small, 3 mm. 1., greenish, sometimes 

 tinged with red, hermaphrodite or dioecious (?), parts of the flower 

 in sixes. Calyx in the form of an elevated margin. Petals free, 

 fleshy, spreading in flower. Stamens, the longer inserted higher 

 alternating with shorter inserted lower ; filaments adnate below 

 to the petals, fleshy, anthers Avith connective more or less 

 apiculate, those of the longer stamens smaller. Ovary with an 

 annular disk ; style stout, columnar. Berry crowned with the 

 persistent calyx ; embryo straight, surrounded by and slightly 

 shorter than endosperm. 



Species about 45, natives of the West Indies and tropical 

 South America. 



1. Flowers in groups of 3, with bract and bracteoles more or less connate 

 under the group. (Fig. 26.) 



Inflorescence with brown scurfy scales 1. P. lepidohotrys. 



Inflorescence not scurfy 2. P. jamaicensis. 



Fig. 26. Phthirusa lepidohotrys 

 Eiclil. 



A, Portion of shoot with inflor- 



escence. 



B, Single cluster of flowers. 



C, Upper portion of flower cut 



lengthwise. 



D, Petals with stamens. 



E, Fruit cut lengthwise ; e, en- 



dosperm ; Cj cotyledons. 



2. (Dendropemon) Flowers not in threes. Bract with the sterile 

 bracteoles connate under each flower into a cup-shaped, somewhat 

 entire cupule, produced anteriorly. (Fig. 27.) 



Leaves elliptical, 1-2 cm. 1 3. P. parvifolia. 



Leaves shortly obovate to elliptical, 2 -5-4 '5 



cm. 1., 1-2 cm.br 4. P. paucifiora. 



Leaves broadly ovate to roundish-elliptical, 



5-3*5 cm. 1., 3*5-2"5 cm. br 5. P. Harrisii. 



