60 i LORANTHACEJE. 



perianth when sepaloid, adnate to the ovary, in fern, flowers solid 

 or obsolete ; limb annular or cupular, entire or shortly toothed. 

 Petals, or simple perianth-segments when petaloid, 3-6, rarely 2, 

 valvate, free or more or less connate in a tube or in a sheath split 

 on the upper side. Stamens as many as and opposite the corolla- 

 lobes and usually adnate to them ; filaments usually filiform ; 7 

 anthers usually 2-celled, bursting longitudinally or by pores. Disk 

 epigynous or in fern, flowers within the stamens, fleshy and rather 

 prominent or none. Staminodes in fern, flowers and rudimentary 

 ovary in male flowers rarely present. Ovary inferior, at first appa- 

 rently solid, at length 1 -celled ; style short or long, stigma simple ; 

 ovule solitary, erect, adnate throughout to the walls of the ovary. 

 Fruit a 1 -seeded berry or drupe. Seed adnate to the pericarp; 

 albumen fleshy, often toothed at the apex, or none ; embryo 

 straight, usually fleshy, radicle superior. Species about 500, 

 mostly tropical. 



Flowers bisexual ; style long . . . . 1. LOBANTHTJS. 

 Flowers unisexual ; style short or none . . 2 . VISCTJM. 



1. LORANTHUS, Linn. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. v, 203. 



Semiparasitic shrubs, usually on trees. Leaves opposite, rarely 

 alternate, usually thick and fleshy or coriaceous, nerves obscure. 

 Flowers 2-sexual, usually coloured, in spikes racemes or cymes, 

 axillary or on the old nodes ; bracts concave or oblique, cupular ; 

 bracteoles 2, free or connate with the bract or none. Perianth 

 double. Calyce-tube adnate to the ovary ; limb short, truncate or 

 4-6-toothed or obsolete. Petals 4-6, valvate, free or more or less 

 connate in a tube with spreading tips, or in a sheath split behind ; 

 tube naked or with conniving scales at the base. Stamens 4-6, 

 adnate to the petals ; anthers adnate or versatile, with parallel 

 cells. Disk none. Style columnar, filiform, rarely twisted. Fruit 

 a berry or drupe, 1 -seeded. Embryo usually fleshy, cotyledons 

 2 or 4. Species about 350, mostly tropical. 



Corolla of 4 free petals ; flowers small, shortly 

 pedicelled, rusty -pubescent ; anthers con- 

 tinuous with the filaments, distinctly 2-celled 1. L. ligustrinus. 



