Decaisnina congesta Barlow

Loranthaceae

Barlow, B.A. (1983) Brunonia 5: 204. Type: Queensland, SFR 607, Bridle Logging Area, 16 deg 59 145 deg 37, 1 Dec. 1978, B. Gray 1168; Holo: QRS; Iso: CANB.

Aerial stem-parasitic shrub. Epicortical runners present.

Leaf blades brittle, cracking and breaking along a straight line when bent back on themselves. Leaf blades about 4-11.5 x 1.3-4.7 cm, petioles about 0.5-1.5 cm long. Venation not obvious, difficult to see on the upper surface and almost impossible to see on the lower surface.

Flowers erect, borne in triads, all flowers sessile. Triad peduncles absent or up to 1 mm long. Inflorescence axis about 8-30 mm long bearing 1-3 pairs of secund triads. Calyx about 0.3-0.7 mm long, without lobes often irregularly split. Corolla about 23-33 mm long, red in the lower half, green in the upper half, upper portions about 7 mm long and sharply reflexed . Petals united at the base for about 2 mm. Anthers about 2-3 mm long, staminal filaments about 2-5 mm long. Ovary about 2-3 mm long. Style about 24-30 mm long. Stigma small, terminal.

Fruits about 10-11 mm long with calyx remnants persistent at the paex and bracts at the base. Seeds about 8-10 mm long, longitudinally ribbed. Embryo straight, about 5-6 mm long. Cotyledons appressed and tapering to a point. Radicle rather thick and blunt.

Features not available.

Occurs in CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 800 m. Parasitic mainly on rain forest species, sometimes on cultivated plants.

Loranthus signatus var. petiolaris Blakely ex C.T. White, Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland 47: 79 (1936), Type: Queensland, Mt Molloy; L.J. Brass 2514; Holo: BRI; Iso: NSW.