An Addition to the Genus Phoradendron (Loranthaceae)

Even at the beginning of my work on the genus Dendrophthora (Loranthaceae) it seemed clear that D. poeppigii Van Tieghem occupied an anomalous position in that genus. Sometime ago it occurred to me that, while within Dendrophthora I could not point out any close relatives, several species of Phoradendron showed great similarities. In general habit, vaginae cataphyllares, and even inflorescence structure Phoradendron caesalpiniae Ule, P. surinamense Pulle, and P. linearifolium Eichler (Trelease, Phoradendron, 1916, plates 225b, 226, and 181, respectively) are exceedingly similar to Dendrophthora poeppigii. The latter species is also aberrant because of the fact that it grows at low elevations, this in contrast to all other continental species of Dendrophthora. It is no surprise, therefore, to find that the species under consideration is a Phoradendron and not a Dendrophthora. Krukoff 6011 (see below) has clearly bilocular anthers, and there is no reason to believe that other collections will differ in this respect. Thus once again the seemingly weak distinction between the two genera, namely the number of locules in the anther, appears to be vindicated. A recombination to Phoradendron, then, becomes necessary. As Trelease’s monograph does not, of course, refer to this species, and Van Tieghem does not provide a sufficient description, a formal treatment follows.