PRIMARY DIVISION 19 
MONOGRAPH OF PHORADENDRON 
GENERIC DESCRIPTION 
Parasitic more or less fleshy suffruticose perennial exogens, usually 
brittle at the nodes. Leaves opposite, usually petioled or petiolately 
contracted, in a few species reduced to scales. Inflorescence of axillary 
or sometimes also terminal mostly several-jointed spikes. Flowers sessile, 
usually sunken in the rachis, in 1 or usually 2 to З or occasionally 5 
series over each of the opposite scales in which the joint below ends, 
small and inconspicuous, apetalous, dioecious or monoecious, 3- or occa- 
sionally 2-, 4-, or 5- merous: sepals distinet, deltoid, valvate, persistent 
on the fruit: stamens inserted on the base of the sepals with nearly 
sessile 2- celled anthers dehiscing by subapical slits or pores: ovary in- 
ferior, 1- celled, 1- ovuled: style short with scarcely dilated terminal 
stigma. Fruit baceate, with a single albuminous seed surrounded by a 
loosely fibrous endocarp and an extremely viscid mesocarp.—Phoraden- 
dron Nuttall, Journ. Acad. Philadelphia. ser. 2. vol. 1. p. 185, 1847.—- 
Spiciviscum Engelmann in Gray, Mem. Amer. Aead. n. s. vol. 4. p. 58. 
1849.—Allobium Miers, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 2. vol. 8. p. 178-9. 
1851.—Baratostachys Uphof, Pflanzengattungen. p. 173. 1910. 
Primary Division OF THE GENUS 
Without.cataphyllary seales. BorEALES. 
With eataphyls at least on the basal internode of each branch. 
A AEQUATORIALES. 
I. BOREALES. 
Stems without eataphyls or scales toward the base of the branches, 
never dichotomous though sometimes with one lateral branch developed 
so as nearly or quite to equal the main axis, seareely ever sharply 
angled or 2-edged. Spikes axillary, never terminal. Flowers dioecious, 
the staminate and pistillate spikes often dissimilar. Confined to eonti- 
nental North America; characteristic of the northern Mexican table- 
land and the southern and western United States, only two species 
reaching into Central America. 
Branches never winged : receptacular cups not lacerate. 
Pistillate flowers 2 on each joint. Chiefly on conifers. PAUCIFLORAE. 
Pistillate flowers 6 or more on each joint. | PLURISERIALES. 
