Leucadendron loranthifolium (salisb. ex Knight) I.williams

Shrubs up to 2 m tall, erect, developing from a single stem at ground level. Branches glabrous, smooth, coloured, often glaucous. Branchlets sparsely pubescent at first. Leaves sub-equal in the two sexes, 3.8-7 cm long,-elliptic or oblanceolate, obtuse, apical callus small blunt red and recurved, narrowing or with the edges bent outwards towards the base, glabrous, glaucous, distinctly nerved, sub-erect, margins narrowly cartilaginous and often reddened. Involucral leaves crowded, of the same colour, exceeding the head. Male inflorescence 1.4-2.3 cm long, 2.1-3.8 cm diam., depressed globose, flattened on the top, solitary, terminal, somewhat greenish, giving off an unpleasant smell. Basal bracts 5-12 mm long, 5-12 mm broad, 14-39 in number, orbicular, ovate or broadly lanceolate, obtuse or with the margins curled inwards making an acute apex, eciliate or very sparsely ciliate, glabrous, glutinous, reddish above. Floral bract 7-11 mm long, 0.7-2 mm broad, linear, apex acute and coloured, densely crisped-pubescent in the middle. Floral bud 8.5-16 mm long, linear, apex green, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, surrounded below by a tuft of hairs. Perianth tube 6-9 mm long, glabrous or sparsely villous. Claw 2-4 mm long, glabrous, recurved 180°. Limb 2.7-4 mm long, linear, glabrous or villous, apex hooked. Anther 2-3 mm long, linear, elevated. Pollen convex-triangular in polar view with rounded apices, sides 38-42 µ long, polar depth 28-30p. Stigma abortive 2.2-3 mm long, sub-cylindrical, entire, acting as a pollen presenter. Style 0.8-1.3 cm long, narrowed above, villous below. Hypogynous scales 5-9 mm long, acicular, yellow. Nectar seen at the apices of the scales at the throat of the perianth tube. Receptacle 7-11 mm long, 7-14 mm diam., globose with the flowers or the upper conical surface. Female inflorescence 1.4-1.8 cm long, 1-1.5 cm diam., globose, solitary, terminal, with the flowers clustered at the apex, foetid. Basal bracts similar to the male the inner becoming broader. Floral bract 6-mm long, 8-10 mm broad, broadly ovate, subacute with the apex clasping the perianth tube, glutinous and glabrous above, densely pubescent below. Floral bud 9-9.5 mm long, apex glabrous and green, densely pubescent in the lower three quarters. Perianth tube 5.5-8 mm long, transversely compressed, densely or sparsely pubescent except on the adaxial surface where glabrous, segments divided below. Claw 1-2 mm long, glabrous or villous, recurved 180° and over. Limb 1.3-2 mm long, glabrous, concave, green. Staminode 0.6-1 mr long. Ovary 1.2 mm long, 1 mm broad, ovoid, villous. Style 7-9 mm long, narrower below, glabrous. Stigma 1 mm broad, suboblique, cleft. Hypogynous scales 4-6 mm long, subulate, yellow. Nectar seen at the throat of the perianth tube. Receptacle 7-10 mm long, 2.5-6 mm diam., clavate. Mature female heac dehiscent, 2.5 ±0.5 cm long, 2.7 ±0.3 cm diam., globose, apex ofter depressed, with bracts broad, obtuse or apiculate, glabrous, slightly or very glutinous, densely or thinly pubescent across the middle. Fruit a nut, 7 mr long, 8-10 mm broad, 5 mm thick, biconvex, laterally ridged, apex often retuse brown, glabrous except for a few weak hairs.