292 



78. LORANTHACEiOI. 



[ Fiscum. 



Western Peninsula ; from the Konkan, southwards. In North Kanara, 

 ©n the Snpa ghats, growing on Artocarpus integrifoUa. ^ I have never 

 seen it on any other tree ; it may be, however, only a variety of L. loni^ 

 €eroides, Linn. Fl. Feb. -May. Fr. R. S. 



2. VISCUM* 



Shrubs with opposite leaves or leaflets. Flowers axillary, unisexuaL 

 Petals 3-4, sessile. Anthers on the petals, opening by many pores. 

 Ovary inferior. Stigma sessile, large, pulvinate. Fruit succulent. 

 Embryo 1-2 in each seed, in fleshy albumen. 



Leafy sBrubs. 



Large shrub, branchlets angular 1, V. orienfale. 



Dwarf tufted shrub, branches stout, short 2. V. capitellatum. 

 Branches terete, long, slender. Leaves 

 or few ... ... ... 3, V. ramosissinmm. 



Leafless shrubs. 



Branches angled, not contracted at nodes ... 4. V. angulatvm. 

 Branches flattened, contracted at nodes ... 5. V. articulatum, 



1. V. orientale, WiUd. Sp. Pi. IV. 737 ; Fl. Br. I. 5. 224; Brandis 

 For. FL 393, 



Bengal, Ber^r and Chiftagong, southward to Singapore and Travan- 

 core, Ceylon. North Kanara and Konkan ghats, common near the 

 Nilkund gbat in evergreen forests, growing on Terminalia panioulata, 

 also on Lorantlius loniceroides. Fl. Sept.-Jany. Leaves 3-5-longitudiuaI 

 nerved. 



Fruit ovoid, smooth. Albumen green, biconvex, firm. Embryo minute, 

 comma-shaped, radicle green, slightly thickened at the top. 



2. V. capitellatum, Sm. in Rees' Cycl. XXXVII ; Fl. Br. I. 5. 225. 



Western Peninsula from the Konkan southwards, on the North Kanara 

 ghats, commonly parasitic on other Lorantliacece^ also on Terminalia 

 panioulata. FL Nov.- Dec. Fr. Jan. Leaves thick, spa thul ate. Flowers 

 on fascicled peduncles. 1 have a variety of this or another species with 

 much thinner ovate leaves and sessile, fascicled flowers^ growing on 

 Loranthus trigomLSfWgt, No. 1619, prop. herb. 



Fruit globose, white, size of a pea, albumen green, fleshy covered with 

 the outer sticky layer ; embryo minute with a globose radicle end. 



3. V. ramosissimum, WalL Oat. 6876 ; FL Br. L 5. 225. 



Deccan Peninsula on the ghats and low grounds. From the Konkan 

 southwards, Fl. Br. I ; on the lower slopes of the Bababuden hills of 

 Mysore on FletcourUa Bamontchi. Fl. H. S. Fr. R. S. Leaves linear, few. 



Very like K angulatumy but has sometimes a few narrow lanceolate 

 leav€s. 



4. V. angulatum, Heyne MSS. DC. Prod. IV. 283 ; Fl. Br. 1. 5. 

 225 ; Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 110. V, attenuatum, Brandis For. Fl. '594. 



