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VISCUM shirense Sprague [family VISCACEAE]
Date Updated: 19 August 2007
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical Africa, Vol 6, Part 1, page 255, (1913) Author: (By J. G. Baker, with additions by C. H. Wright.)
Names
VISCUM shirense Sprague [family VISCACEAE]
VISCUM anceps Engl. [family VISCACEAE], in Engl. Jahrb. xxx. 305, not of E. Meyer.
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.
Distribution
German East Africa Mozamb. Dist. Unyika; near Manyames Dorf, 5000 ft., Goetze, 1441!Nyasaland Mozamb. Dist. Mount Malosa, 4000–6000 ft., Whyte! near Mambane, 4000 ft., Kirk!Portuguese East Africa Mozamb. Dist. Gazaland; Mossurize District, Mafusi, 3500 ft., Johnson, 166! Mount Maruma, 3500 ft., on Albizzia, &c., Swynnerton, 1085!
Notes
V. anceps, E. Meyer, bears a strong resemblance to V. shirense, from which it may be distinguished by the shorter internodes, distinctly contracted at the apex, and the warted berries, each of which is borne by a bracteal cup.
Date Updated: 19 August 2007
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical Africa, Vol 6, Part 1, page 255, (1913) Author: (By J. G. Baker, with additions by C. H. Wright.)
Names
VISCUM shirense Sprague [family VISCACEAE]
VISCUM anceps Engl. [family VISCACEAE], in Engl. Jahrb. xxx. 305, not of E. Meyer.
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.
Distribution
German East Africa Mozamb. Dist. Unyika; near Manyames Dorf, 5000 ft., Goetze, 1441!Nyasaland Mozamb. Dist. Mount Malosa, 4000–6000 ft., Whyte! near Mambane, 4000 ft., Kirk!Portuguese East Africa Mozamb. Dist. Gazaland; Mossurize District, Mafusi, 3500 ft., Johnson, 166! Mount Maruma, 3500 ft., on Albizzia, &c., Swynnerton, 1085!
Notes
V. anceps, E. Meyer, bears a strong resemblance to V. shirense, from which it may be distinguished by the shorter internodes, distinctly contracted at the apex, and the warted berries, each of which is borne by a bracteal cup.
Date Updated: 19 August 2007
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical Africa, Vol 6, Part 1, page 255, (1913) Author: (By J. G. Baker, with additions by C. H. Wright.)
Names
VISCUM shirense Sprague [family VISCACEAE]
VISCUM anceps Engl. [family VISCACEAE], in Engl. Jahrb. xxx. 305, not of E. Meyer.
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.
Distribution
German East Africa Mozamb. Dist. Unyika; near Manyames Dorf, 5000 ft., Goetze, 1441!Nyasaland Mozamb. Dist. Mount Malosa, 4000–6000 ft., Whyte! near Mambane, 4000 ft., Kirk!Portuguese East Africa Mozamb. Dist. Gazaland; Mossurize District, Mafusi, 3500 ft., Johnson, 166! Mount Maruma, 3500 ft., on Albizzia, &c., Swynnerton, 1085!
Notes
V. anceps, E. Meyer, bears a strong resemblance to V. shirense, from which it may be distinguished by the shorter internodes, distinctly contracted at the apex, and the warted berries, each of which is borne by a bracteal cup.
![VISCUM shirense Sprague [family VISCACEAE]](/fsi/img/misc/plants/static_thumbs/Flora_of_tropical_Africa_icon96.jpg)
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