Tolypanthus maclurei - Assam Mistletoe

Assam Mistletoe is a parasitic shrub 0.5-1 m tall, young stems with rusty hairs, becoming hairless. Branches are patent, blackish, smooth. Leaves are alternate to almost opposite, or 3 or 4 leaves fascicled on short shoots; leaf-stalk 2-7 mm; leaf blade oblong or oblong-ovate, 2.5-7 x 1-3 cm, somewhat leathery, base wedge-shaped or blunt, tip pointed to blunt. Flowers are borne in solitary fascicles or 2 or 3 fascicles together, in leaf-axils, sometimes at leafless nodes, 3-5-flowered. Flower are reddish or orange, hairy, apical portion inflated, 5-angled, lobes narrowly oblong, 6-8 mm, reflexed. Filaments are 2-2.5 mm; anthers 1.5-2 mm. Sepal-cup is ovoid, about 2 mm, rusty woolly, limb cup-shaped, 5-finely toothed. Flower-cluster-stalk is 7-11 mm; bracts pink, oblong-ovate, 12-22 x 7-11 mm, papery when dried, 3-7-veined, base blunt to slightly heart-shaped, tip tapering. Flower-stalks are about 1 mm. Mature bud is 2-2.8 cm. Berries are yellow, hairy, ellipsoid, 8-10 x about 6 mm. Assam Mistletoe is found in forests, mountain slopes, valleys, sometimes along rivers, at altitudes of 100-1200 m, in NE India and China. Flowering: April-July.