LORANTHACEAE
etc.
magnoliids
monocots
Loranthaceae and Santalaceae are
distinct families in the Santalales
The bastard toadflax (Comandra umbellata) of the Santalaceae is in
Vermont.
LORANTHACEAE (SANTALALES, CORE EUDICOTS)
NUMBERS: 60-70 Genera, 950 species
GEOGRAPHY: tropical and sub tropical, especially in southern hemisphere
HABITAT: parasites, usually attached above ground to stems, sometimes
(Gaiadendron) attached to roots).
SANTALALES CHARACTERS
HABIT: Hemiparasites;
LEAVES entire veins obscure
CALYX: often reduced,
COROLLA ESTIVATION: valvate
STAMENS: equal to and opposite corolla,
HYPANTHIUM: present
DISC: present
EMBRYO SAC AND EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT: reduced
FRUIT: fleshy, 1-seeded, the seed often with viscid coat or stone
http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio/images/loran789.gif
CHARACTERS OF THE FAMILY
HABIT: stem parasites
STEMS: not jointed (as in Viscaceae)
LEAVES: usually opposite, often rather thick and brittle leaves with entire
margins and inconspicuous venation
FLOWERS: long, narrowly tubular and brightly colored - often red and/or
orange; often have one or more bracts at the base and immediately to one
side of the ovary
OVARY: inferior
GENERA: Tapinanthus (250), Amyema (95), Gaiadendron (14), Psittacanthus
(50), Struthanthus (50).
Viscaceae,(7-8 genera, 350 species, 200 in Phoradendron) included in Santalaceae by
Judd: dinky little flowers and leafless stems common. Genera include Arceuthobium,
Phoradendron, Dendroph thora, Korthalsella
Psittacanthus – its place in
the forest
Psittacanthus - parasite on montane-forest oaks in Costa Rica
Psittacanthus schiedeanus seedling
showing the numerous cotyledons.
Struthanthus sp.
Seedling
Photo by D. L. Nickrent. [DLN 3012]
wilson2006.pdf
Amylotheca dictyophleba
Photographer: Ollerenshaw
Gaiadendron - a small tree that is parasitic on roots of Ericaceae
Mistletoes elsewhere in the Santalaceae
are in the tribe Visceae
Arceuthobium, Phoradendron,
Dendrophthora, Korthasella
Key characters:
Monoecious stem parasites with brittle,
jointed stems, tiny flowers, and two fused
cotyledons
Phoradendron - the mistletoe genus familiar to most people in
North America (in Europe it’s Viscum album)
Korthalsella- a mistletoe with flat
stems and no leaves from Hawaii.
Genus
distribution
Mia Molvray, Paul J. Kores and Mark W. Chase, 1999
Dendrophthora - an extremely
reduced mistletoe from high
montane Costa rica
Arceuthobium - the native mistletoe of the Northeast
Explosive fruit dehiscence