LORANTHACEAE
Morphological description
Woody hemiparasites, on branches of trees. Usually attached to the host with several haustoria, stem with ± swollen nodes. Young parts rusty hairy, fruit club-shaped (Scurulla).
Leaves
Leaves simple, entire. Usually leaves opposite, drying opaque, olive green; venation very indistinct.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence sometimes covered by many red bracts (Lepidaria, Lepeostegeres).
Flowers
Flower with well-developed corolla, calyx much reduced; stamens opposite the petals; ovary inferior. Usually bisexual, sympetalous
Fruit
Fruit a one-seeded berry.
Seed
Seed surrounded by a slimy layer.
Different from: Olacaceae: leaves rarely opposite, leaf surface finely tuberculate. - Santalaceae: seed not surrounded by slimy layer, parasitic on roots. - Viscaceae: flowers with tiny tepals, unisexual.
Distribution: The family worldwide. In Malesia 23 genera in lowland to montane rain forest and secondary forest,including : - Amyema (Malesia, Australia, West Pacific); - Decaisnina (Malesia, Australia to Polynesia); - Dendrophthoe (Paleotropics); - Macrosolen (Indo-Malesia).
Notes: The Viscaceae used to be included in the Loranthaceae. The flowers of many species are visited by members of the bird family Dicaeidae (flowerpeckers) which also disperse the seeds (Docters van Leeuwen, 1954). Some species are hyperparasites (parasitic on other Loranthaceae). Many species play a role in rituals and traditional medicine.
Literature: B.H. Danser, The Loranthaceae of the Netherlands Indies, Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg III, 11 (1931) 233-519; W.M. Docters van Leeuwen, On the biology of some Loranthaceae ..., Beaufortia 4 (1954) 105-205; B.A. Barlow, A revision of the Loranthaceae of New Guinea and the SW Pacific, Austr. J. Bot. 22 (1974) 531-622; Fl. Males. I, 13 (1997) 209- 401.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Loranthaceae 16, 57, 61, 79, 83, 92 - Amyema 11, 64 - Amylotheca 11; A. duthieana 46 - Barathranthus 11; B. axanthus 47 - Cecarria 11 - Cyne 11 - Dactyliophora 11 - Decaisnina 11; D. sumbawaensis 9 - Dendrophthoe 11, 44 - Distrianthes 11 - Elytranthe 11 - Helixanthera 11, 44, 46 - Lampas 11, 46 - Lepeostegeres 11, 76 - Lepidaria 11, 76 - Loranthus 11 - Loxanthera 11 - Macrosolen 11; M. curvinervis 46 - Papuanthes 11 - Scurulla 11, 27 - Sogerianthe 11 - Taxillus 11, 95 - Tetradyas 11 - Thaumasianthes 11 - Trithecanthera 11, 46.
Illustrations: Fig. 105. Amyema artensis (Montrouz.) Danser (Loranthaceae). Twig with flower buds; enlarged inflorescence and flower. Reproduced from Flora Malesiana I, 13 (1997) 242, fig. 3a-c. Fig. 106. Dendrophthoe quadrifida Danser (Loranthaceae). Flower-bearing twig. Reproduced from Flora Malesiana I, 13 (1997) 321, fig. 23a. Fig. 107. Macrosolen flammeus Danser (Loranthaceae). Flower-bearing twig; enlarged inflorescence. Reproduced from Flora Malesiana I, 13 (1997) 369, fig. 36b, c.
Image in PhytoImages for Loranthaceae