394 LXV. LOKANTHACE^. [Viscum. 



trichotomous, flat, jointed, joints ^-J 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. coraMuides, E. 

 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 (JaunsaA on Bhtis, Olea, Rhododendron 

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

 Symplocos and lAtscea. 



5. V, attenuatum, DC. ; W. & A. Prodr. 380.— Syn. V. dichoto- 

 mura, Don Fl. JSTep. 142 (probably). Vem. Budu, pand, Pb., N.W.P. ; 

 Patha, Banda; Bdnda, C.P. 



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

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

 ribs, tapering towards the base, generally linear, less than \ 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, ^ in. diam. , yellow when ripe. I retain the name accepted 

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

 plant with V. compresmm, Poiret, Encycl. M4th. 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. com/pressum (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 Panjah to 3000, in Kamaon to 5000, in Sikkim to 6000 ft. Kasia hilj^. 

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



2. ABCETJTHOBIUM, M. Bieberstein. 



Leafless parasitic shrubs with articulate branches. Flowers minute, 

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

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

 sessile. 



1. A. Oxycedri, M. Bieb. ; Ledebour, Fl. Eoss. ii. 380. — Syn. Vis- 

 cum Oxycedri, DC. Vem. ShUJc, Sai, Lahoul. 



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

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

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

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



