Psittacanthus
Content
Description
Often large, leafy, glabrous parasites, primary haustorium massive; epicortical roots mostly lacking; stems terete or quadrangular. Leaves usually paired, sometimes whorled; blades often fleshy or leathery. Inflorescences indeterminate racemes or umbels of triads or dyads, former in terminal or subterminal positions, latter axillary. Flowers large, mostly pedicellate (sessile in P. cucullaris), subtended by 1 bract or bracteole each; bisexual, 6-merous, usually brightly colored in red or red and yellow; petals and stamens dimorphic, rarely isomorphic; petals long, slender, fused to varying length, bearing epipetalous stamens consisting of slender filaments, anthers dorsifixed, mostly versatile, 4-loculate. Fruit a large berry; seed consisting mostly of a massive, fleshy green seedling with 2 or more large, fleshy cotyledons, endosperm lacking. (x = 8, 10).
Distribution
Argentina present, Guianas present, central Baja California present, continental, northwestern Mexico present
Mostly continental, northwestern Mexico (including central Baja California) to Argentina; a large genus of ca. 120 species; in the Guianas 12 species.
Notes
A possibly additional species not included separately below is present in the Matoroni R. area of French Guiana, where flowers were collected from the ground (Mori et al. 25307, LEA; see the citation under P. clusiifolius ). Its petals are nearly twice as long (12-13 cm) as those of the latter species, the stigma much larger and strikingly papillate; and the thick, rapidly tapering filament is flanked by tufts of long, red hairs — features missing in P. clusiifolius . The plant may represent an undescribed species.