Korthalsella rubra (Tiegh.) Engl. subsp. rubra

Santalaceae

Engler, H.G.A. (1897) Nat. Pflanzenfam. 1: 138.

Internodes flattened, about 6-25 x 3-8 mm. Venation longitudinal and parallel, +/- 3-veined or reduced to a solitary midrib.

Leaves absent or very small, about 0.5-1 mm long.

Flowers produced in whorls at the nodes. Usually about 20-30 flowers in each whorl. Male flowers: Flowers about 0.5 mm diam. Pollen shed through one apical pore in each flower. Female flowers: Flowers about 0.7 mm diam.

Fruits about 1.5-2 mm long, perianth remnants persistent at the apex. Fruits produced in clusters at the nodes. Fruits interspersed with hairs. Seeds immersed in a sticky, gelatinous mucilage. Embryo heart-shaped, less than 1 mm long.

Features not available.

Occurs in CYP, NEQ, CQ and in south-eastern Queensland and southwards as far as Victoria. Altitudinal range from 50-1500 m. Also found in New Guinea and the Pacific islands.

Food plant for the larval stage of the Yellow-spotted Jezabel Butterfly. Braby, M. (2000).

Parasitic on a wide variety of rain forest and open forest plants.

Bifaria rubra Tieghem, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 43: 173(1896), Type: New South Wales, Richmond River, F. Mueller(?); Holo: P. Viscum pycnanthum Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 89: 604(1921), Type: Queensland, summit of Mt Bellenden Ker, 4 jan. 1910, K. Domin s.n.; Holo: PR?. Korthalsella articulata Blakely, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 53: 33(1928), Type: New South Wales, Illawarra, Mt Kembla, june 1888, Fletcher; Lecto: NSW. Fide Barlow (1983) Brunonia 6: 51.