Family Loranthaceae
Description: Hemiparasitic, terrestrial, root-parasitic shrubs or trees, or aerial, stem-parasitic shrubs.
Leaves mostly opposite.
Inflorescence a lateral umbel or raceme, with the inflorescence unit in many genera a 3-flowered dichasium (triad). Flowers usually actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic, bisexual or rarely unisexual, mostly 4–6-merous. Calyx lobed or truncate, limb at apex of inferior ovary. Corolla free or fused, valvate, petaloid, often with a small fringe (the calyculus) below the perianth. Stamens the same number as and opposite to and fused to the petals; anthers mostly basifixed, sometimes dorsifixed and versatile. Ovary inferior, 1–many-locular, without developed ovules, producing several egg cells in the ± solid ovary tissue.
Fruit mostly succulent, berry-like, viscous layer outside vascular bundles; seed solitary.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 65 genera, c. 900 species, cosmopolitan. Australia: 10 genera, 65 species, all States.
External links:
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (Family: Loranthaceae, Order: Santalales)
Wikipedia
Text by A. L. Quirico
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the genera | |
| 1 | Terrestrial shrubs, parasitic upon the roots of other plants | Atkinsonia |
| Parasitic shrubs on the branches of trees or shrubs | 2 |
| 2 | Inflorescences terminal (sometimes on short lateral stems and then seemingly axillary) | Muellerina |
| Inflorescences otherwise
Back to 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Flowers in heads, enclosed in 2 enlarged foliaceous bracts fused at margins over buds during development | Diplatia |
| Inflorescence various; flowers not enclosed in enlarged leafy bracts
Back to 2 | 4 |
| 4 | Petals free or very shortly fused at the base. Flowers arranged in an umbel of 1 to 3 triads or umbels | Amyema |
| Petals fused into a tube for the greater part of their length
Back to 3 | 5 |
| 5 | Leaves mostly alternate or scattered; inflorescence a raceme of single flowers | Dendrophthoe |
| Leaves opposite or clustered; inflorescence a simple umbel or a raceme of triads
Back to 4 | 6 |
| 6 | Corolla 5-merous, deeply split on one side, lobes and stamens reflexed to one side | Benthamina |
| Corolla 6-merous, lobes and stamens not reflexed to one side
Back to 5 | 7 |
| 7 | Runners present; corolla tube straight; inflorescence a raceme of triads | Amylotheca |
| Runners absent; corolla tube curved; inflorescence a simple umbel
Back to 6 | Lysiana |
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