05G cxix. LORAXTUACEiE (sprague). {^Lorauthus, 



calyx. Seed albuminous ; embryo straight, terete. — Green leafy shrubs, 

 parasitic on Dicotyledons, seldom on Coniferse or Monocotyledons, often 

 very brittle, even in a living state. Leaves opposite, ternate or alter- 

 nate, penninerved, or several-nerved from the base. Inflorescence 

 racemose (at least in the African species) ; subtending bract of each 

 flower situated at the apex of the pedicel when the latter is present ; 

 flowers often large and brightly- coloured. 



Species about 500, all Old World, mostly tropical and subtropical. 



Key to the Sections. 

 Corolla polypetalous. 

 Flowers tetramerons. 

 Flowers in racemes. 



Anthers transversely septate . . . .1. Sycophila. 



Antbers not transversely septate . . .2. Acrostachys. 



Flowers in umbels 3. LEriDOTEPALUM. 



Flowers pentaniprous 4. Plicopetalcs. 



Corolla ^iin)opetalous. 



Corolla-lobes with several oblique folds arising from 



the adnate part of tlit; filament . . . .5. Tapixostemma. 



Corolla-lobes without folds on the inner surface. 

 Filaments without a tooth or ledge in front of the 

 anther. 

 Anthers tranversely septate. 



Style skittle-shaped ; corolla usually rather 

 densely clothed with rusty much-branched 



hairs 6. Kufescentes. 



Style not skittle-shaped (or if slightly skittle- 

 shaped, the corolla is clothed with tawny 

 or greyish hairs). 

 Corolla rather sparingly jiilose outside with 



small stellate hairs or nearly glabrous . 7. LEPlDOTr. 

 Corolla densely clothed with tawny or 



greyish much-branched hairs . . 8. ClXERASCEXTES. 



Anthers not transversely septate. 



Corolla split unilaterally ; lobes cohering, in- 

 volute at the-ai)ex 9. iNVOLrTiFLOKi. 



Corolla-lobes revolute 10. Cupulati. 



Corolla-lobes neither involute nor revolute. 

 Corolla-tube not split unilaterally. 

 Flowers in racemes. 



Corolla densely clothed with much- 

 branched hairs; anthers linear . 11. Laxiflori. 

 Corolla sparingly pilose with small 



stellate hairs ; anthers oblong . 12. Ambigui. 



Flowers in umbels or heads, or axillary, 

 sessile. 

 Flowers pentamerous. 



Flowers axillary, sessile ; receptacle 



nearly glabrous . . .13. IxCRASSATi. 



Flowers in umbels or heads ; recep- 

 tacle densely villous at the base 

 or all over . . . .14. HiRSUTl. 



Flowers tetramerons . . .15. Tetrameri. 



.i 



