Cassytha L.
Parasitic plants attached to the host by small haustoria; stems twining, ± wiry, green to orange, chlorophyllous. Lvs 0 or reduced to minute scales. Fls small, in sessile or pedunculate heads, spikes or racemes, ⚥, actinomorphic, perigynous initially but perianth tube developing and enclosing fr.; bracts minute. Perianth segments 6, in 2 whorls, outer smaller than inner, persistent. Stamens 9, in 3 whorls; outer 2 whorls with introrse anthers and eglandular filaments; inner whorl with extrorse anthers and glandular filaments. Staminodes usually 3, comprising 4th whorl. Style short. Fr. a berry, enclosed by succulent perianth tube, with 2-layered skin, the outer layer thin, the inner hard.
Key
20 spp., mostly palaeotropical, a few warm temperate. Native sp. 1, naturalised 1.
