Decaisnina signata (F.Muell. ex Benth.) Tiegh.

Loranthaceae

Tieghem, P.E.L. van (1895) Bull. Soc. Bot. France 42: 436.

Aerial stem-parasitic shrub. Epicortical runners present.

Leaf blades broadly lanceolate to orbicular, thick and leathery, about 8-16.5 x 2.8-4.8 cm, base truncate to cordate, sessile or on petiole to 2 mm long.

Flowers borne in triads, each flower in the triad sessile.  Triads on  peduncles about 1-5 mm long. Inflorescence axis about 3-6 cm long producing 5-10 pairs of triads. Calyx about 0.3 mm long, minutely lobed. Corolla about 30-50 mm long. Petals united at the base for about 0.5-1.5 mm. Anthers about 3-4 mm long, staminal filaments about 3-4 mm long. Ovary glabrous, about 3-5 mm long. Style about 30 mm long. Stigma minute.

Fruits ovoid, about 10 mm long.

Features not available.

Endemic to Australia. Occurs in WA and NT. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 140 m. Parasitic on monsoon and woodland forest species.

Food plant for the larval stage of the Scarlet Jezabel, Northern Purple Azure and Northern Pencilled-blue Butterflies. Braby, M. (2000).

Amylotheca signata (F. Muell. ex Benth.) Danser, Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg 10: 300(1929). Elytranthe signata (F. Muell. ex Benth.) Engl., Nat. Pflanzenfam. Nachtr. 1-3: 126(1897). Loranthus signatus var. typicus Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 89: 54(1921). Loranthus signatus F. Muell. ex Benth., Flora Australiensis 3: 392(1861), Type: Northern Australia (Gregory Expedition), Sept. 1855, F. Mueller s. n.; Lecto: MEL. Fide B.A. Barlow (1966), Australian J. Botany 14: 435.