Loranthaceae
Oedina

Oedina pendens (Engl. & K.Krause) Polhill & Wiens

First published in J.-P.Lebrun & A.L.Stork, Énum. Pl. Fleurs Afr. Trop. 2: 169 (1992)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to E. Zambia. It is a hemiparasitic epiphyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Loranthaceae, Polhill & D. Wiens. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1999

Morphology General Habit
Shrub with spreading tangled branches to 2 m. or more, with fine short dendritic hairs on youngest parts, but soon glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or subopposite, occasionally clustered on short shoots; petiole 1–3 cm. long; lamina thinly coriaceous, lanceolate to oblong-elliptic or ovate, 4–20 cm. long, 2–8 cm. wide, bluntly pointed to rounded at the apex, rounded to shortly cordate at the base; lateral nerves 8–10 pairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes axillary and mostly at older nodes, 2.5–12 cm. long, with numerous flowers; pedicel 0.5–4 mm. long; bract ovate-triangular, concave, 1.5–2 mm. long, ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle 2–3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 0.5–0.8 mm. long, ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla 5.5–6.5 cm. long, with tube orange at least below, upper part fiery red, puberulous, glabrescent, slightly curved in bud; tube 2–2.5 cm. long, slightly swollen at the base; lobes coiling above the vented region at anthesis and some breaking off, the pollen expelled unilaterally but tube not split.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Filaments inserted ± 1 cm. above the base of the lobes, slender, straight at first but collapsing within seconds of anthesis, breaking off a few mm. above broken corolla-lobes; anthers 5–6 mm. long; connective-appendage subulate, 1.5–2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Berry blue-green, obovoid, 10 mm. long, 8 mm. in diameter; seed dull red.
Figures
Fig. 15/1–7 (p. 88).
Habitat
Montane forest edges, on various hosts; 1350–2300 m.
Distribution
T2 T6 T7
[FTEA]

Flora Zambesiaca. Vol. 9, Part 3. Polygonaceae-Myriaceae. Pope GV, Polhill RM, Martins ES. 2006.

Type
Type from Tanzania.
Morphology General Habit
Shrub with spreading tangled branches to 2 m or more, with fine short branched hairs on youngest parts, but soon glabrescent Shrub with spreading tangled branches to 2 m or more, with fine short branched hairs on youngest parts, but soon glabrescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or subopposite, occasionally clustered on short shoots; petiole 1–3 cm long; lamina thinly coriaceous, 4–20 × 2–8 cm, lanceolate to oblong-elliptic or ovate, bluntly pointed to rounded at apex, rounded to shortly cordate at base; lateral nerves 8–10 pairs Leaves opposite or subopposite, occasionally clustered on short shoots; petiole 1–3 cm long; lamina thinly coriaceous, 4–20 × 2–8 cm, lanceolate to oblong-elliptic or ovate, bluntly pointed to rounded at apex, rounded to shortly cordate at base; lateral nerves 8–10 pairs.
Ecology
Evergreen forest; 2200–2250 m; on various hosts; flowering in the wet season.
Distribution
Malawi ZAM E, MAL N Zambia Also in mountains of Tanzania.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes axillary and mostly at older nodes, 2.5–12 cm long, with numerous flowers; pedicel 0.5–4 mm long; bract 1.5–2 mm long, ovate-triangular, concave, ciliate. Racemes axillary and mostly at older nodes, 2.5–12 cm long, with numerous flowers; pedicel 0.5–4 mm long; bract 1.5–2 mm long, ovate-triangular, concave, ciliate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle 2–3 mm long. Receptacle 2–3 mm long; calyx 0.5–0.8 mm long, ciliolate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 0.5–0.8 mm long, ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla 5.5–6.5 cm long, with the tube orange at least below, upper part fiery red, puberulous, glabrescent, slightly curved in bud; tube 2–2.5 cm long, slightly swollen at base; lobes coiling above fenestrated region at anthesis and some breaking off, the pollen expelled unilaterally but tube not split. Corolla 5.5–6.5 cm long, with the tube orange at least below, upper part fiery red, puberulous, glabrescent, slightly curved in bud; tube 2–2.5 cm long, slightly swollen at base; lobes coiling above fenestrated region at anthesis and some breaking off, the pollen expelled unilaterally but tube not split
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamen filaments inserted c. 1 cm above the base of lobes, slender, straight at first but collapsing within seconds of anthesis, breaking off a few mm above broken corolla lobes; anthers 5–6 mm long; connective appendage 1.5–2 mm long, subulate. Stamen filaments inserted c. 1 cm above the base of lobes, slender, straight at first but collapsing within seconds of anthesis, breaking off a few mm above broken corolla lobes; anthers 5–6 mm long; connective appendage 1.5–2 mm long, subulate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Berry blue-green, 10 × 8 mm, obovoid; seed dull red. Berry blue-green, 10 × 8 mm, obovoid; seed dull red.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0