come more and more imbedded in the lignious system of the support, owing to the deposition
of the new wood of the latter. The fibres of the parasite never penetrate beyond their original
attachment, although the later developed fibres appear to have the power of arriving at this
point, but no further. This is very remarkable. In the adult plant the sucker bearing shoots
frequently run to a considerable distance, many of the stocks being literally covered with parasites,
all of which have originated from one seed. I have seen such shoots, which had taken
their course along a decayed branch, become reflexed, and return in quest, as I may express it,
of a part capable of affording due nourishment. In all the species of Loranthus which I have
examined the same phenomena occur, and also in the species of Fiscum from which the drawings
were made. I have reason to believe, however, that in some Loranthi and Visca the attachment
takes place by one spot; in other words, that there is only a primary attachment:
such will approximate in form to be Fiscum album.
“ The sucker-bearing shoots frequently run contiguous to each other, and are occasionally
reciprocally united by “ suckers in such there is actual communication between the lignious
system.”
As already observed nearly all the plants of this order are parasitic, the genus Nuytsia is
mentioned as the only exception, but Mr. Griffith informs me that he once found a terrestrial
Loranthus. An occurrence so unusual, almost leads one to suspect that the plant in question
can scarcely belong to that genus. All the species of Loranthus and Fiscum are shrubby with
jointed branches and succulent leaves. On this account they are very troublesome plants to
dry, being apt to break at each joint, and to lose their leaves in the process, and when dried are
scarcely worth the trouble, from the difficulty of examining their structure after having undergone
that operation.
“ Calyx with a smaller calyx, or bracteae, at the base of its tube : limb short, entire or
lobed. Petals 4-8, free or more or less united : aestivation valvular. Stamens as many as the
petals, and opposite to them : filaments more or-less combined with the petals : anthers versatile,
or erect, or adnate. Ovarium cohering with the tube of the calyx, l-celled: ovule solitary
: style filiform or almost wanting : stigma capitate. Fruit fleshy, crowned with the calyx,
1-celled, endocarp membranaceous and tough, or somewhat crustaceous, marked with several
longitudinal nerves. Seed solitary. Embryo straight, in the axis of a fleshy albumen : radicle
next the hilum, thickened or truncated at its extremity. Shrubs, almost all parasitical. Leaves
fleshy, entire, opposite or rarely alternate, sometimes wanting.”
A ffinities. On this head I feel constrained at once to acknowledge my ignorance, knowing
no order with which I can compare this. In so far as the solitary pendulous ovulum affords
a mark of relationship, I should consider Loranthaceae akin to Alangieae which is further established
by the viscid pulp, by which in both families the seed is surrounded, and by albumen-
ous seed with a superior radicle. Add to these the alternate exstipulate leaves, common to
both, and the analogy ceases, unless some further indications of relationship be found on a comparison
of the early stages of the ovula. But even these points seem to me of sufficient importance
to have attracted the attention of Botanists who have hitherto sought in vain for its
relations. By a similarity of structure in the ovarium and seed, they are related to Corneae, from
which they are said to be principally distinguished by the stamens being opposite the petals in
Loranthus, alternate with them in Comus. The relationship to Mangieae, just indicated,
seems to have been overlooked on account of the one family having polypetalous, the other
monopetalous flowers, a distinction assuredly not without value, but of very secondary importance,
as compared to the structure of the ovarium and fruit especially in this family, one of
whose leading genera, Fiscum, is polypetalous. The same structure, namely monopetalous
flowers, has caused this order to be viewed as nearly related to Caprifoliaceae, though their
ovary, ovules, and seed are widely distinct. Brown, the ablest Botanist of the present day, and
of all living Botanists the most intimately acquainted with the structure and affinities of
Proteaceae, an order which he has deeply studied, points it out as related to Loranthaceae, an
affinity mentioned on his authority by most recent writers, but by all, in such terms as to convey
the impression that they could not detect it. 1 am not myself very intimately acquainted
with either order and therefore do not attempt to examine the question, but I have the authority
of Mr. Griffith, who has studied Loranthaceae with very great care, for stating that “ every
thing down to the ovule tends to prove the value of Brown’s remark, that Loranthaceae are
akin to Proteaceae” a view which I hope at no distant period to see fully made out by him now
that he is preparing to publish the results of his own most extensive and valuable labours.
In the same letter, that most accomplished Botanist makes another remark of great value and
which should never be lost sight of, though not always easy to be acted upon. “ Botanists, he
remarks, publish too much from dried specimens —a dried Loranthus is generally a sealed book.”
I shall close these remarks with another extract from his Paper on Loranthus and Fiscum, an
essay which cannot, be too extensively known or too deeply studied, as exhibiting the results
obtained in the course of a most patient and philosophical investigation on one of the most obscure
questions of botanical science—The formation of the ovule.
“ From what has been stated, it will appear that the ovulum is, both in Loranthus and
Fiscum a formation subsequent to impregnation This remarkable and, 1 believe, unparalled
fact will tend materially to increase the difficulty of understanding or even conjecturing the
nature of the first steps in the formation of. an embryo. It is evident that it is at total variance
with the idea that the ovulum, or female organ, is a nidus adapted to, and necessary for
the development of the embryo, which in this view is supposed to be derived entirely and directly
from the male. I t is needless to add that it is totally different from the usual development
of ovula. . .
“ With respect to the first part of the process of development, I may observe that original
continuity of tissue is very general, and perhaps universal. And, in particular, I believe
the nucleus of an ovulum to be ab origine solid : whatever is produced subsequently in its interior
being developed in a cavity formed by an excavating process.
“ Although there can be no doubt from its structure and functions, that the fleshy body
in which the mature embryo is more or less contained is albumen, yet it may be proper to state
in what part of the tissue the necessary change is carried on ; particularly since there is, I believe,
no instance of albumen occurring as a primary formation.
“ The albumen in both these genera may, therefore, be classed with those albumina which
are developed in the tissue of the amnios and inclosed in an ordinary integument or integuments
with this obvious difference, that in the subjects under consideration this body is naked.
“ There is an evident resemblance between the nipple-shaped process of Fiscum, and the
often stipitate, free, central placenta of Santalaceae, especially when more than one embyro is
developed in the above genus.”
G eographical D istribution. Though most abundant in the tropical regions of Asia and
America, species of this order extend far beyond these limits, both north and south. The common
Mistletoe ( Fiscum album) is well known in Britain, and some others are natives of Europe.
The genus Loranthus is met with in Europe, America and every part of India, both on the
plains and mountains, extending from the Southern extremity of Ceylon, to a considerable
elevation on the Himalayas. On the highest tops of the Pulney mountains and also high on
the Neilgherries they are met with, but much less abundantly than on the plains and at lower
elevations on the hills. The genus Viscuin also, abounds equally on the sea coast and the hills*
though from its species being fewer, it is not so common as Loranthus.
Generally speaking they grow_on nearly all trees though more common on some than
others. The Mangoe in some parts of the country is a favourite resort, so also are some
species of Acacia, and I have seen a Fiscum on a Loranthus : DeCandolle excepts lactescent
trees, which may perhaps be usually the case, but not always, as I have seen a Loranthus on a
Ficus and Mr. Griffith found one on the common Jack tree (Artocarpus inlegrifolia) which is
lactescent. . .
India and the Malayan Peninsula are said to produce 90 species. That such may be the
case I could not take upon myself to deny, though I feel considerable doubt of the correctness
of the statement, owing to the difficulty of determining the species : all of them being so liable
to great variations, especially in their foliage, that characters taken from it can rarely be depended
upon if not confirmed by others derived from the inflorescence or fruit. Attention to
this circumstance led to the reduction of many species in our Prodromus. Others, it is probable,
may be discovered to replace some of those reduced, but perhaps there are yet many superfluous
ones, which will require to be struck out of the list before it can be said to be free