Search Results

Information A much-branched shrub. Stem terete, about 2 1/2 lin. in diam. 1 1/2 ft. below the apex of the branchlets. Branches and branchlets conspicuously flattened, ribbed in a dried state; internodes broadly linear or oblanceolate-linear, more rarely oblong, tape-like, broadest in their upper part, little or not at all contracted at the apex, more or less tapering into the base, 1/2–1 1/2 in. long, 1–2 1/4 lin. broad, those of the main branches much thickened along the middle. Flowers diœcious, tetramerous. Male inflorescence: Flowers solitary, sessile. Bud ellipsoid, 1 1/4 lin. long, solid base 1/4 lin. long. Receptacular tube 3/8– 1/2 lin. long. Petals deltoid-ovate, 1/2– 5/8 lin. long. Anthers obtusely trigonous, elliptic in outline, 1/2– 5/8 lin. long, 3/8 lin. broad. Female inflorescences consisting of 1 or 3 flowers, which are usually unprovided with bracteal cups. Bracteal cup, when present, embracing only the base of the receptacle at the time of expansion of the flower, sessile, bilobed, 1/2– 5/8 lin. high, 5/8 lin. long; lobes ascending, very obtuse, 3/8 lin. long. Receptacle and pedicel together obovoid-oblong, 7/8–1 lin. long, 5/8 lin. broad. Petals yellowish-green, oblong-ovate, 5/8– 3/4 lin. long, 3/8– 1/2 lin. broad, deciduous. Style distinct, short, thick, compressed-quadrangular; stigma projecting 3/8– 1/2 lin. above the insertion of the petals. Young berry pedicelled, orange-red, ovoid.

Information Leafless dioecious often large pendulous shrubs with stems 1–2 m. long; internodes of distal branches strongly flattened, 20–35 mm. long, 2–4 mm. wide. Bracteal cups sessile in both sexes. Staminate and pistillate flowers sessile and borne singly. Style indistinct; stigma capitate at the summit of the ovary that is gradually elevated from the margin of the tepalar scars. Berries sessile, cylindrical until near maturity, then only slightly swollen as it ripens, 7 mm. high, 3.5 mm. in diameter; tepalar ring-scar 2 mm. in diameter. Fig. 5/3–5.

Information Leafless dioecious shrubs of variable size from under 0.5 m. to more than 1 m. long, larger plants mostly pendulous with age; internodes of distal branches 15–25 mm. long, 2–3(–4) mm. wide, flattened. Bracteal cups of both staminate and pistillate flowers sessile, short, less than 1 mm. long, often obscured by the scale-leaves and sometimes apparently absent or deciduous. Staminate flowers borne mostly singly, but sometimes in dyads or triads. Pistillate flowers borne singly. Style minute but distinct, less than 0.5 mm. long; stigma rounded and only slightly expanded. Berries on 1–1.5 mm. long pedicels, orbicular to ovoid-ellipsoid, 3–5 mm. high, smooth, orange; tepalar ring-scar 1.5–2 mm. in diameter. Fig. 5/9 (p. 20).

Information Leafless, dioecious shrubs of moderate size, mostly 0,5-1 m high, often pale yellow­ish green; younger branches strongly flattened, minutely ribbed; older stems rounded; basal internodes of younger branches (10-) 15-20 (-30) x 3-4 mm, bearing a minute but distinct, pale yellow margin, this transformed into a wing on older stems. Staminate flowers in dichasia (sometimes 2-flowered), sessile, mostly solitary at nodes of younger branches. Pistillate flowers solitary in bracteal cup, sessile at nodes of younger branches; bracteal cup acute, bilobed, margin scarious. Berries ovoid-ellipsoid, 4-5 mm long, developing a short pedicel (c. 1 mm long), strongly warty only on upper half at maturity, dull orange. Flowering approximately June through July; n=14. Fig. 16.

Information Leafless dioecious shrubs of relatively large size, with stems up to 1–2 m. long, usually pendulous with age, often yellowish green; internodes of distal branches 20–35 mm. long, 4–6 mm. wide, flattened and strongly ribbed, rounded with age. Bracteal cups and flowers of both sexes sessile. Staminate flowers in triads (occasionally dyads), sessile, solitary in the axils of scale-leaves of younger branches, but often in fascicles of 4–8 on older stems. Pistillate flowers borne singly. Style indistinct at maturity; stigma rounded, emerging directly from the slightly elevated summit of the ovary. Berries sessile, rotund-ellipsoid, 6–7 mm. high, apex truncated, tuberculate when young, but nearly smooth at maturity, orange; tepalar ring-scar not strongly differentiated, 4–5 mm. in diameter. Fig. 5/8.

Information Leafless dioecious relatively large but delicate shrubs, older plants forming long pendulous masses to 2 m.; internodes of distal branches flattened and narrowed, 20–30 mm. long, 1–2 mm. wide. Bracteal cups sessile, short, less than 1 mm. long, often obscured by the subtending leaf-scales. Staminate flowers mostly borne singly, occasionally in dyads or triads, sessile. Pistillate flowers borne singly. Style not evident; stigma somewhat expanded at the summit of the ovary that is gradually elevated from the margin of the tepalar scars. Berries on 1 mm. long pedicels, ellipsoid, 4 mm. high, smooth, orange; tepalar ring-scar 2 mm. in diameter. Fig. 5/6–7 (p. 20).