Description :

• Aerial, hemiparasitic shrubs of small to moderate size, probably not higher than 0.75 m, often appearing greyish due to short, dense tomentum on stems and leaves; older stems often greyish to reddish brown
• Leaves alternate, shortly petiolate (2-6 mm), obovate-elliptical, 10-30 X 3-20 mm
• Flowers 4-merous, solitary, 1-3 in axils with short pedicels (1-3 mm)
• Calyx reduced to a short rim or forming a tube up to 2 mm long; bracts 2-3 mm long
• Corolla stellate or lanate-pubescent, 25-40 mm long, with short unilateral split 5-7 mm long, outside mostly greyish green with variable shades of dull red, inside orange-reddish; lobes reflexed
• Filaments ± erect, 4-6 mm long; anthers locellate, ± as long as filaments
• Style essentially filiform but tapering slightly towards stigma
• Berry mostly ellipsoid, 7-12 mm long, red
• x = 9 (1 report)

Nomenclature:

• Septulina Tiegh.
  • Van Tieghem: 263 (1895)
  • Balle: 177 (1968)
  • Balle: 9 (1969)
  • Wiens & Tölken: 39 (1979)
  • Polhill & Wiens: 223 (1998)
• Dendrophthoe Mart.
  • Martius: 109 (1830) in part
• Taxillus Tiegh.
  • Van Tieghem: 256 (1895)
  • Danser: 123 (1933) in part

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa : Species 2, Namibia, Northern and Western Cape