Phragmanthera proteicola (Engl.) Polhill & Wiens

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

Morphology General Habit

Stems in all directions to 1 m. or so, much branched; branchlets soon stout, tomentose, with longer orange-tawny dendritic to subsimple hairs 1–4 mm. long on youngest parts.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves and leafy bracts rather crowded towards ends of branches; petiole 0.5–1.5 cm. long; lamina softly coriaceous, lanceolate to ovate-oblong or elliptic, 3–10 cm. long, 1.5–3 cm. wide, obtuse to subacute at the apex, cuneate to slightly rounded at the base, covered with inconspicuous greyish stellate and shortly dendritic hairs above, pale tomentellous beneath with slightly longer more tawny hairs at least medially, with 4–8 pairs of obscure lateral nerves.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 2–several in the axils, subsessile; pedicels mostly 0.5–1 mm. long; bracts mostly spathulate to foliaceous, 1–1.5 cm. long, tomentellous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle

Receptacle 2.5–3 mm. long, densely villous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 1.5–2 mm. long, similarly hairy but somewhat glabrescent, long-ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 4.5–6 cm. long, usually red at least on the claw of the lobes inside, otherwise cream to greenish, tomentellous with pale dendritic hairs and also sparingly villous with tawny-orange subsimple hairs 3–4 mm. long, also with a tuft of long hairs at the base; apical swelling of bud slight, 8–9 mm. long, 3 mm. in diameter; basal swelling slight; lobes reflexed, 10–12 mm. long, the upper half linear-elliptic, pointed, hardened inside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filaments green to red; tooth 0.7–1 mm. long; anthers 3–4 mm. long, with 6–12 cells in each row.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style pale green, slender, slightly thickened opposite the filaments, conspicuously glandular-papillate, narrowed to a 3–4 mm. long neck below the ovoid to obovoid stigma.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Berry ellipsoid to obovoid, 8 mm. long, 5 mm. in diameter, villous.

Figures

Fig. 19/8, 9.

Habitat

Generally in higher rainfall Brachystegia woodland, often on scarps and rocky hills, commonly on Ochna, Faurea and Protea, but descending along rivers in places; 900–2150 m.

Distribution

T4 T7 T8

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

Type

Type from Tanzania.

Morphology Stem

Stems in all directions to 1 m or so, much branched; branchlets soon stout, tomentose, with longer orange-tawny dendritic to subsimple hairs 1–4 mm long on youngest parts

Morphology Leaves

Leaves and leafy bracts rather crowded towards ends of branches; petiole 0.5–1.5 cm long; lamina softly coriaceous, 3–10 × 1.5–3 cm, lanceolate to ovate-oblong or elliptic, obtuse to subacute at apex, cuneate to slightly rounded at base, covered with inconspicuous greyish stellate and shortly dendritic hairs above, pale tomentellous beneath with slightly longer more tawny hairs at least medially, with 4–8 pairs of obscure lateral nerves Leaves and leafy bracts rather crowded towards ends of branches; petiole 0.5–1.5 cm long; lamina softly coriaceous, 3–10 × 1.5–3 cm, lanceolate to ovate-oblong or elliptic, obtuse to subacute at apex, cuneate to slightly rounded at base, covered with inconspicuous greyish stellate and shortly dendritic hairs above, pale tomentellous beneath with slightly longer more tawny hairs at least medially, with 4–8 pairs of obscure lateral nerves.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 2–several in the axils, subsessile; pedicels mostly 0.5–l mm long; bracts mostly spathulate to foliaceous, tomentellous Flowers 2–several in the axils, subsessile; pedicels mostly 0.5–l mm long; bracts mostly spathulate to foliaceous, tomentellous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle

Receptacle 2.5–3 mm long, densely villous; calyx 1.5–2 mm long, similarly hairy but somewhat glabrescent, long-ciliate Receptacle 2.5–3 mm long, densely villous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 4.5–6 cm long, usually red at least on claw of lobes inside, otherwise cream to greenish, tomentellous with pale dendritic hairs and also sparingly villous with tawny-orange subsimple hairs 3–4 mm long, also with a tuft of long hairs at base; apical swelling of bud slight, 8–9 × 3 mm; basal swelling slight; lobes reflexed, 10–12 mm long, upper half linear-elliptic, pointed, hardened inside Corolla 4.5–6 cm long, usually red at least on claw of lobes inside, otherwise cream to greenish, tomentellous with pale dendritic hairs and also sparingly villous with tawny-orange subsimple hairs 3–4 mm long, also with a tuft of long hairs at base; apical swelling of bud slight, 8–9 × 3 mm; basal swelling slight; lobes reflexed, 10–12 mm long, upper half linear-elliptic, pointed, hardened inside.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamen filaments green to red; tooth 0.7–1 mm long; anthers 3–4 mm long, with 6–12 cells in each row Stamen filaments green to red; tooth 0.7–1 mm long; anthers 3–4 mm long, with 6–12 cells in each row.

Ecology

Generally in higher rainfall miombo woodland, often on scarps and rocky hills, but descending along rivers in places; 1300–2400 m; commonly on Faurea and Protea; with main flowering flush in late part of rainy season, February to April, but sporadic flowering also in the dry season.

Note

Closely related to the more variable P. eminii, forms of which, on higher ground in the Mbala region of northern Zambia, are sufficiently similar to suggest there may be some slight introgression. The similarity is, however, principally in the especially long hairs of these populations of P. eminii — typical differences in the longer pedicels, small bracts, smaller anthers, less papillate style and less crowded leaves apply unequivocably to all the specimens seen.

Distribution

Malawi Also in Tanzania. ZAM N, ZAM C, MAL N, MAL C Zambia

Morphology General Habit

Stems in all directions to 1 m or so, much branched; branchlets soon stout, tomentose, with longer orange-tawny dendritic to subsimple hairs 1–4 mm long on youngest parts.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 1.5–2 mm long, similarly hairy but somewhat glabrescent, long-ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style pale green, slender, slightly thickened opposite filaments, conspicuously glandular-papillate, narrowed to a 3–4 mm neck below ovoid to obovoid stigma. Style pale green, slender, slightly thickened opposite filaments, conspicuously glandular-papillate, narrowed to a 3–4 mm neck below ovoid to obovoid stigma

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Berry 8 × 5 mm, ellipsoid to obovoid, villous. Berry 8 × 5 mm, ellipsoid to obovoid, villous.