Loranthus.] cxix. loranthace^ (sprague). 329 



101. L. fragiliSy Sprague. Branches very brittle, subterete, greyish- 

 brown in a dried state, glabrous, very nodose, about 1 J lin. in diam. 1 ft. 

 below the apex ; internodes 2-6 lin. long. Leaves opposite, subopposite 

 or alternate, obovate, rounded at the apex, cuneate into the base, J -1 in. 

 long, 3^-6 lin. broad, succulent, glaucous-green {Gossweiler), rigidly 

 coriaceous in a dried state ; lateral nerves hardly visible ; midrib slightly 

 raised on both surfaces ; petiole J-1 lin. long. Umbels axillary, appa- 

 rently fascicled, 3-4-flowered ; peduncle IJ-lf lin. long ; pedicels 1 lin. 

 long ; bract ovate from a saucer-shaped base, rounded or subemarginate, 

 very concave, thickly keeled, glandular-ciliolate, dorsal margin J— f lin. 

 long, ventral margin ^-^ lin. long. Receptacle and calyx together 

 narrowly campanulate, 1 J lin. long. Calyx patulous, truncate, glandular- 

 ciliolate, f lin. long. Corolla about 9 lin. long, greenish with sulphur-yellow 

 lobes ; tube 2 J lin. long, constricted about the middle, split unilaterally 

 to J lin. above the base; lobes suberect, 6 J lin. long, subspathulate- 

 linear, slightly incurved in the upper part. Filaments inserted at the 

 base of the corolla-lobes, 3 J lin. long, slightly tapering upwards, involute ; 

 anthers linear, 2 J lin. long ; connective produced J lin. beyond the cells, 

 i lin. broad. Disc shortly lobed, i lin. high. Style not thickened 

 above ; stigma subglobose, f lin. in diam. 



Jto-wer Guinea. Angola: common in woods near Benguella, Gossweiler, 

 1683! 



Neai* L. Wehvitsehii, from which it differs in the very nodose branches and 

 smallt'i* obovate leaves. 



102. L. elegantissimus, Schinz in Bull. Herb. Boiss. iv. App. iii. 

 r)2. Branchlets spreading, elongated, yellowish-grey, glabrous. Leaves 

 opposite, subopposite or alternate, narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, 

 acute, obtuse or rounded at the apex, cuneate or attenuate into the base, 

 f-lj in. long, lJ-6 lin. broad, thinly coriaceous, glabrous, irregularly 

 3-nerved from shortly above the base; petiole J-IJ lin. long. Umbels 

 fascicled on leafy axillary cushion-like short-shoots, 3-4-flowered ; 

 peduncle 1 lin. long ; pedicels f lin. long ; bract ovate-cupular, strongly 

 umbonate, umbo laterally compressed, dorsal margin | lin. long, ventral 

 margin J lin. long. Receptacle and calyx together tubular, Ij-lf lin. 

 long. Calyx subtruncate, minutely ciliolate, J-| lin. long. Corolla 

 orange, Si lin. long, slightly constricted 1 lin. above the base ; tube 

 split unilaterally down to f lin. above the base ; lobes erect, linear 

 below, oblanceolate-linear above, 6J-6J lin. long, acute. Filaments 

 inserted al)out the base of the corolla-lobes, about 3 J lin. long, much 

 involute, dorsal surface with about 7 deep transverse grooves; anthers 

 linear, 2|-2i lin. long ; connective produced yV lin. beyond the cells. 

 Disc o-lobed, hardly J lin. high. Stigma ellipsoid, over f lin. long. — 

 L. karihibensis, Engl, in Engl. Jahrb. xl. 524. 



XiOiver Guinea. German South-west Africa : Amboland ; Oombale, Schinz, 

 291! Hereroland; Karibib, Binter, 1445 I Pot Mine, Fleck, 415 1 Spitzkoppjes, 

 Dinhr, 17 ! Amutoni, Dinter, 730 ! 



Cbiefly i>:irasitic on species of Acacia. According to Schinz, the filaments coil 

 inwards explosively at the moment of expansion of the flower. 



