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Leafy parasitic shrubs; nodes often with inconspicuous constriction; internodes terete or angled. Leaves entire, petiolate or sessile, venation pinnate to palmate. Base of lateral vegetative branches with one or more pairs of fused, basal cataphylls, some species with one or more pairs of intercalary cataphylls separating successive pairs of foliage leaves; cataphylls in most species sterile; branching mostly percurrent, sometimes dichotomous by means of terminal inflorescences or abortion of apex. Inflorescences spike-like; peduncle simple or with several squamate, sterile internodes, followed by one to several fertile internodes; each fertile bract with 2 or 3 longitudinal series of flowers, produced basipetally by intercalary action, number of flowers variable but flower area always topped by a single median flower. Flowers small, sessile and often sunken in small axial cavities, 3-(4-)merous, occurring in diverse monoecious or dioecious patterns. Anthers sessile, 2-locular, minute. Fruit a berry, smooth to warty, mostly white, yellowish or red, perianth segments of female flower persistent, closed, erect, or spreading; seed with copious bright green endosperm and small, dicotylous embryo. (x = 14).
Subshrubs, evergreen, monoecious or dioecious; hemiparasitic on branches of woody angiosperms and gymnosperms, infections localized [systemic]. Stems single or multiple; branching percurrent (branches with single main axis) [pseudodichotomous]. Leaves scalelike or well developed. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, unisexual (bisexual in P. rubrum), spikelike thyrses with intercalary meristems; flowers borne in cavities or grooves. Staminate flowers: petals (2–)3(–4), triangular, distinct; stamens (2–)3(–4); anthers 2-locular, dehiscing by transverse slits; nectary absent. Pistillate flowers: petals (2–)3(–4), triangular, distinct; ovary 1-locular; style short; stigma undifferentiated [2-lobed]. Berries sessile, not explosively dehiscent, 1-colored, smooth or puberulent, petal remnants persisting at apex. Seeds mucilaginous when removed from fruit, endosperm flattened, ovate to elliptical in broadest outline; embryo oriented longitudinally. x = 14.
Monoecious or dioecious; perianth deeply 3-lobed, subglobose; anthers 3, sessile on the base of the perianth-lobes, opening transversely; ovary ovoid; fr a subglobose to ovoid, sessile berry; small shrubs, parasitic on trees, with well developed (in most spp.), opposite, coriaceous lvs and small fls in short, axillary spikes. 200, New World.
Erect and rootless shrubs. Leaves opposite, rarely reduced to scales. Flowers as in Dendrophthora, except that they are arranged in definite rows on the spike joints (2 or 3 series over each side of the joints). Anthers 2-celled, dehiscing by longitudinal slits; pollen grains globose, the exine smooth. Fruit as in the preceding genus.
