;J9I 



f!XIX. LORANTHACEiE (sPRAGUE). 



[ Vi.SC} I m . 



Species about 60, all Old World, mostly natives of warm regions. 

 Eacli axillary branch, of whatever order, has a pair of small scale-leaves at its 

 very base. These scale-leaves, which are placed transversely with respect to the 

 subtending leaf, are also found at the base of each axillary inflorescence. 



Each cymule and, as a rule, each solitary flower is subtended at its base by a 

 peduncled or sessile pair of bracts {hracteal cup). 

 ♦Ploionixia. — Leaves not all scale-like. 

 Berry warted ; inflorescences sessile. 



Berry with a deeply lobed bracteal cup, lobes 

 acute or subacute ..... 



Berry with a shallowly lobed bracteal cup, lobes 

 rounded ....... 



Berry smooth; inflorescences peduncled or subsessile. 

 Petals persistent in fruit ..... 



Petals deciduous. 



Upper internodes conspicuously flattened, taper- 

 ing from apex to base .... 



Upper internodes not conspicuously flattened. 

 Leaves 1—4 in. long. 



Female cymules 5-7-flowered (Eastern 

 species) ..... 



Female cymules 3-5-flowered (Western 



species). 



Berry ellipsoid ; leaves rounded at the 



apex, 1^ times as long as their 



breadth ...... 



Berry obovoid ; leaves narrowed to an 

 obtuse or acute apex, twice as long 

 as their breadth .... 



Berry ovoid ; leaves narrowed to an 

 obtuse or subacute apex, 2^ times as 

 long as their breadth 

 Leaves ^-^ in. long. 



Branchlets very stout, subteiete 

 Branchlets fairly slender, sharply 6- 

 ribbed. 

 Leaves broadly ovate, rounded at the 

 base ...... 



Leaves ovate-oblong or elliptic-oblong, 

 obtuse at the base . 



1. V. Holstii. 



2. V. tuberculatum. 



4. V. nervosum. 



5. F. deeurrens. 



6. V. Fischeri. 



7. V. congolense. 



8. V. grandifoUum. 



10. V. Zenkeri. 



11. V. Macowani. 



12. V. rotundifolium . 



. 13. 



■{I 



V. tricostatum. 



V. longiarticulatum. 



V. Oilletii. 



Imperfectly known species of this section 



•*ASPIDIXIA. — Leaves all scale-like. 



Internodes conspicuously flattened, tape-like. 

 Berries sessile. 



Bracteal cup closely surrounding the base of 



the ellipsoid berry ..... 14. V. combreticola 



Ends of the bracteal cup not touching the base 



of the ovoid berry . . . . .15. V. ugandense. 



Berries pedicelled. 



Internodes broad, much contracted at the apex 16 

 Internodes narrow, hardly contracted at the 

 apex , . . . . . .17 



Internodes subterete or slightly compressed, or only 

 the upper ones distinctly flattened. 



V. Engleri. 

 V. shirense. 



