Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/659

Loranthus.] 2. L. tetrapetalus, Forst. Prodr. n, 156.—A bushy shrub 3–6 ft. high; stems usually numerous from the base, often adhering to the host for a considerable distance; branches spreading, terete, greyish; branchlets compressed, glabrous or minutely pubescent. Leaves opposite and decussate, ½–1¼ in. long, elliptic-oblong or ovate-oblong, rounded at the tip, narrowed into a short petiole at the base, very thick and coriaceous, pale yellowishgreen when fresh, reddish when dry, midrib and veins obscure. Flowers bright-red, either solitary or 2–4 together in the axils of the leaves, erect; peduncles short, stout. Calyx-limb cupular, obscurely 4-toothed. Corolla about 1 in. long, swollen and 4-angled at the base, terete above, ultimately splitting to the base into 4 linear petals, which are erect below, but reflexed at the tip. Anthers narrow -linear, basifixed. Style equalling the corolla; stigma capitate.—''A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 268; A. Cunn. ''Precur. n. 486; Raoul, Choix, 42; ''Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 99; Handb. N.Z. Fl.'' 107. L. decussatus, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. iii. (1871) 162. L. punctatus, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xv. (1883) 323.

3. L. Colensoi, ''Hook. f. in Hook. Ic. Plant.'' t. 633.—A large much-branched perfectly glabrous bush; branchlets terete. Leaves opposite, 1½–3 in. long, broadly oblong or obovate or almost orbicular, obtuse, narrowed into a stout petiole ⅓–¼ in. long, very thick and coriaceous, veinless or the veins very obscure. Peduncles stout, axillary, ½–1 in. long, 3–9-flowered. Flowers sessile, opposite, large, scarlet, 1½–2 in. long; a small deciduous leaf-like bract at the base of each flower; bracteoles wanting. Calyx-limb prominent, cupular, truncate or obscurely sinuate. Corolla terete or nearly so in bud, swollen at the base and towards the tip, splitting into 4 linear petals free to the base. Anthers very narrow-linear, basifixed. Style straight, equalling the corolla.—Raoul, Choix, 42; ''Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 99; Handb. N.Z. Fl.'' 107.