Agelanthus

Agelanthus is a genus of Afrotropical plants in family Loranthaceae. They grow in trees, including Acacia and Combretum species,[1] as hemiparasitic shrubs of varying sizes.[2] The host plant is penetrated by a single haustorium,[2] and the stems typically have swollen, flower-producing nodes. The flowers are often closely clustered (fascicled) with the five petals (pentamerous) fused into a tube (gamopetalous).[note 1] The flower may have a swollen base and the tubes open along unilateral, V-shaped splits. The filaments remain spirally rolled inward when the flowers open, while the styles are inconspicuous, slender filaments that are somewhat thickened in the middle. Berries range from pink to orange and red in colour, and are around 1 cm in diameter.[2]

Agelanthus
A. natalitius subsp. zeyheri in South Africa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Santalales
Family: Loranthaceae
Genus: Agelanthus
Tiegh.

Species

It is the largest genus of the Afrotropical Loranthaceae[2] containing some 61 species,[3] including:

Open flower with spirally rolled filaments
Habit of A. natalitius

Notes
  1. Flowers of the closely related genus Phragmanthera are similar in many respects.

References
  1. Onderstall, Jo (1984). Transvaalse Laeveld en Platorand. Cape Town: Botaniese Vereniging van Suid-Afrika. p. 90. ISBN 0-620-07750-6.
  2. Smith, Emily. "Agelanthus". Gateway to African Plants. Don Kirkup et al. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  3. "Agelanthus". The Plant List. Version 1. 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2012.

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