394 LXV. LORANTHACE^E. [Viscum. 



trichotomous, flat, jointed, joints \-\ in. long, linear-cuneate, from a nar- 

 row base widening upwards, not striate, but often with a prominent mid- 

 dle line. Flowers monoicous (sometimes dioicous, var. coralloides, R. 

 Wight), sessile and clustered at the end of joints ; segments of perianth 

 minute, triangular, persistent. Berry globose, very small, crowned by 

 the persistent segments of perianth, 3-4 in sessile clusters. 



Himalaya from Hazara to Kamaon 4000-9000 ft. Kasia hills, meuntains of 

 South India and Ceylon. Mt. Ophir, Malacca, Java, China and Japan, Queens- 

 land and New South Wales. Fl. May-July ; fr. Oct.-Nov. Grows on a great 

 variety of trees ; in the N.W. Himalaya on Quercus Ilex (Jani and Kunai in 

 Kunawar), incana, annulata, dilatata (Jaunsar), on Rhus, Olea, Rhododendron 

 arboreum, and the Apricot tree; in the Nilgiris on Eurya; in Japan on 

 Symplocos and Litsoea. 



5. V. attenuatum, DC. j W. & A. Prodr. 380. Syn. V. diclwto- 

 mum, Don Fl. Nep. 142 (probably). Vern. Budu, pand, Pb., KW.P. j 

 Patha, Banda; Banda, C.P. 



Stems terete, branches flat, jointed, di- or tri-chotomous, forming loose 

 tufts up to 3 ft. long j joints 1-2 in. long, striated with 6-12 prominent 

 ribs, tapering towards the base, generally linear, less than J in. wide, but 

 sometimes oblong or ovate-oblong. Flowers monoicous, sessile, in sessile 

 clusters of 3 at the ends of joints, each flower supported by a rounded, 

 often ciliate concave bract. Perianth-segments thick, triangular, deciduous. 

 Berry subglobose, J in. diam. , yellow when ripe. I retain the name accepted 

 by Wight & Arnott, but believe that farther researches will identify the 

 plant with V. compressum, Poiret, Encycl. Meth. Suppl. ii. 861 (1811); 

 Blume, 1. c. t. 26, in which case this name will take precedence. Miquel's 

 identification of V. articulatum (moniliforme) with V. compressum (Fl. 

 Ned. Ind. i. pt. i. 806) I fail to understand, the 2 species (as I take 

 them) being completely different. 



Sub-Himalayan tract and outer ranges from the Ravi to Assam, ascending in 

 the Panjab to 3000, in Kamaon to 5000, in Sikkim to 6000 ft. Kasia hills. 

 Behar, Banda, South India, Ceylon, and Java. Fl. June-Oct. 



2. ARCETTTHOBIUM, M. Bieberstein. 



Leafless parasitic shrubs with articulate branches. Flowers minute, 

 dioicous. Male fl., perianth 3-5-partite. Anthers sessile, 1-celled, de 

 hiscing by a transverse slit. Female fl., perianth 2-dentate. Stigma 

 sessile. 



1. A. Oxycedri, M. Bieb. ;_ Ledebour, Fl. Ross, ii, 380. Syn. Vis- 

 cum Oxycedri, DC. Vern. Shuk, Sai, Lahoul. 



A small parasite, with fleshy stems, dividing di- or tri-chotomously into 

 numerous jointed branches, forming close tufts 1-5 in. long ; joints (of 

 the lower branches) about \ in. long, nearly four-sided, somewhat com 

 pressed, terminating in a cup-shaped sheath which encloses the base 



cuin- 



se of 



