Flora of New Zealand Series

Loranthus tetrapetalus Murr. Syst. Veg. ed. 13, 1774, 343 and Linn. f. Suppl. Pl. 1781, 211.

L. decussatus Kirk in T.N.Z.I. 3, 1871, 162.

L. punctatus Col. in T.N.Z.I. 15, 1883, 323.

L. fieldii Buchan. in T.N.Z.I. 16, 1884, 397.

Peraxilla tetrapetala Tiegh. loc. cit. 41, 1894, 500.

Glab. bushy shrub up to 1 m. or more tall, us. much-branched from base; branchlets ± compressed, ± pubescent when young. Lvs opp., ± decussate, on short petioles. Lamina thick, coriac., elliptic- to ovate-oblong; veins obscure. Fls axillary, solitary, or in few-fld cymes on short rather stout peduncles. Receptacle with ± 4-toothed rim. Tepals 4, ± 2.5-3·5 cm. long, dilated and ± 4-angled at base, bright red to orange, splitting to base. Anthers narrow, basifixed; style ± = tepals; stigma capitate to clavate. Fr. turbinate to cylindric, 4-5 mm. long.

DIST.: N., S. Not uncommon from lat. 36° southwards, on Quintinia, Nothofagus.

FL. 10-1. FT. 12-2.

Kirk's L. decussatus was based on specimens from "Cape Colville Peninsula, T.K. (on Quintinia serrata); Nelson, H. H. Travers (on Fagus)". The specimens in Kirk's herb, at W are from "Thames goldfields", and show no significant differences from E. tetrapetala. Kirk notes that "The parasite is often adherent to the supporting plant, by shoots 3 or 4 feet in length."

Colenso's L. punctatus was found "on Fagus solandri (and other trees, Forty-mile Bush, near Norsewood . . . flowering in November, 1876-1882; W.C." Distinguishing features are said to be the exceptionally large size (up to c. 3 m. across and long), the laminae with "both surfaces covered with very fine pale spots", the fls "light-vermillion red, single". In the type specimen in W the "spots" are seen to be minute superficial flecks, few to several or some lvs quite free from them.

Buchanan's description of his L. fieldii reads: "Leaves 1-11/2 inches long, linear-oblong, rounded at the tip and narrowed into a very short petiole at the base, mid-rib indistinct. Racemes 3-4 inches long, tetrachotomously 16-flowered. Flowers 1-11/4 inch long, bright crimson, tipped with dark purple, and yellowish towards the base, petals free to the bottom, anthers linear. A single raceme only of this beautiful Loranthus was forwarded by Mr Field, it was discovered near the base of Ruapehu on Fagus sp., and is called by the Maoris 'roeroe'. More complete specimens will be required before it can be correctly described; in the meantime it is named provisionally after the discoverer."