Description :

• Aerial, hemiparasitic shrubs of varying sizes from ± 0.5-2 m or higher, glabrous to puberulous or velvety
• Leaves mostly opposite, sessile to petiolate
• Inflorescence 2-16 in axillary or clustered umbels at older nodes, shortly pedunculate; bract saucer-shaped to cupular
• Flowers 5-merous
• Calyx saucer-shaped to cupular or occasionally shortly tubular
• Corolla with tube much longer than lobes, opening with a V-split, usually pink to purplish; basal swelling well formed; lobes attenuate to spathulate, conspicuously reflexed
• Filaments arising near top of corolla tube, short, linear, inflexed to inrolled; anthers 4-thecous, short
• Style swollen opposite filaments, constricted above; stigma small, obovoid to capitate
• Berry oblong-ellipsoid to globose, often somewhat urceolate to the persistent calyx, smooth to papillose, usually ripening red
• x = 9

Nomenclature:

• Tapinanthus (Blume) Rchb.f.
  • Reichenbach 73 (1841)
  • Van Tieghem: 267 (1895)
  • Danser: 107 (1933)
  • Balle: 181 (1968) in part
  • Balle: 10 (1969) in part
  • Stearn: 157 (1968)
  • Wiens & Tölken: 3 (1979)
  • Germishuizen et al.: 20 (1994)
  • Polhill & Wiens: 183 (1998)
• Loranthus sect. Tapinanthus Blume
  • Blume: 15 (1830)
• Acranthemum Tiegh.
  • Van Tieghem: 255 (1895)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Species ± 30, tropics and subtropics of Africa
• Southern Africa : Species ± 4, widespread