L. micranthus, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 100.—A perfectly glabrous bushy shrub 2–5 ft. high; branches terete, the younger ones flattened and 2-edged. Leaves opposite, 1½–3 in. long, oblong or elliptic-oblong or oblong-obovate, rounded at the tip, narrowed into a stout petiole about ⅓ in. long, thick and coriaceous, veins very obscure. Panicles small, ½–¾ in. long, axillary, tricho-tomously branched, many-flowered; branches slender, divaricating. Flowers minute, greenish, ⅛ in. long. Calyx-tube cylindrical; limb very minute, truncate. Corolla of 4 linear-oblong spreading petals, free to the base. Anthers small, oblong, basi-fixed. Style stout, short, suddenly twisted up and down at the middle; stigma lateral, capitate. Berry bright-yellow, oblong, viscid, ⅓ in. long.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 107. Viscum antarcticum, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 483 (not of Forst.).

North and South Islands: Abundant in lowland districts throughout. Sea-level to 2000 ft. October–November.

Easily distinguished by its small green flowers. Parasitic on Coprosma,. Melicope, Leptospermum, &c.

L. tetrapetalus, Forst. Prodr. n. 156. — A bushy shrub 3–6 ft. high; stems usually numerous from the base, often adhering to the host for a considerable distance; branches spreading, terete, greyish; branchlets compressed, glabrous or minutely pubescent. Leaves opposite and decussate, ½–1¼ in. long, elliptic-oblong or ovate-oblong, rounded at the tip, narrowed into a short petiole at the base, very thick and coriaceous, pale yellowish-green when fresh, reddish when dry, midrib and veins obscure. Flowers bright-red, either solitary or 2–4 together in the axils of the leaves, erect; peduncles short, stout. Calyx-limb cupular, obscurely 4-toothed. Corolla about 1 in. long, swollen and 4-angled at the base, terete above, ultimately splitting to the base into 4- linear petals, which are erect below, but reflexed at the tip. Anthers narrow-linear, basifixed. Style equalling the corolla; stigma capitate.—A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 268; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 486; Raoul, Choix, 42; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 99; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 107. L. decussatus, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. iii. (1871) 162. L. punctatus, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xv. (1883) 323.

North and South Islands: Not uncommon from the Little Barrier Island and Cape Colville to the south-west of Otago. 500–4000 ft. November–January.

In the southern portion of the colony this is usually parasitic on Fagus, in the north on Quintinia. Through a curious misconception, Mr. Kirk applied the name of tetrapetalus to the plant now known as L. Adamsii, and described the true tetrapetalus as a distinct species under the name of L. decussatus.

L. Colensoi, Hook. f. in Hook. Ic. Plant, t. 633.—A large much-branched perfectly glabrous bush; branchlets terete. Leaves opposite, 1½–3 in. long, broadly oblong or obovate or almost orbicular, obtuse, narrowed into a stout petiole ⅓–¾ in. long, very thick and coriaceous, veinless or the veins very obscure. Peduncles stout, axillary, ½–1 in. long, 3–9-flowered. Flowers sessile, opposite, large, scarlet, 1½–2 in. long; a small deciduous leaf-like bract at the base of each flower; bracteoles wanting. Calyx-limb prominent, cupular, truncate or obscurely sinuate. Corolla terete or nearly so in bud, swollen at the base and towards the tip, splitting into 4 linear petals free to the base. Anthers very narrow-linear, basifixed. Style straight, equalling the corolla.—Raoul, Choix, 42; Hook.f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 99; Handb. N.Z. FL 107.

North Island: Lake Waikaremoana, parasitic on Metrosideros tomentosa, Golenso! Mount Hikurangi and other places in the East Cape district, Adams and Petrie, Bishop Williams! various localities in Wellington Province, Buchanan! South Island: Not uncommon in wooded districts throughout. Sea-level to 2000 ft. December–January.

A very handsome species. It is usually parasitic on Fagus, but has also been noticed on Pittosporum and Metrosideros.

L. Adamsii, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiii. (1881) 296.— A perfectly glabrous bush 2–4 ft. high; branchlets terete. Leaves opposite, 1½–2½ in. long, broadly oblong or oblong-obovate, obtuse, narrowed into a short stout petiole or almost sessile, very thick and coriaceous, veins hardly visible, margins slightly recurved. Peduncles very short, axillary, each bearing 2–4 sessile flowers; a small concave bract and 2 bracteoles at the base of each flower. Flowers rather large, 1½–2 in. long, reddish, more or less tinged with yellowish-green. Calyx-limb short, with 4 minute triangular teeth. Corolla narrow at the base, swollen in the middle, and then contracted just below the limb; lobes 4, separating about i-way down, reflexed, but the corolla often splits dorsally to the base, the lobes then all turning one way. Anthers narrow-linear, basifixed,. tips acute. Style equalling the corolla; stigma capitate.

North Island: Auckland—Thames goldfields, Adams! T. F. C.; Hunua,. Kirk! September–October.

The foliage of this almost precisely matches that of L. Colensoi, but the flowers are very different. Parasitic on Coprosma, Myrsine, and Melicope.

L. fiavidus, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 100, t. 27.—A sparingly branched glabrous shrub 1–3 ft. high; branches spreading. Leaves opposite, 1–2½ in. long, linear-oblong, usually rounded at the tip, rarely apiculate, narrowed at the base into a short petiole, flat, very coriaceous, veins inconspicuous, or 3–5 diverging from the base; margins thickened and very minutely crenulate when dry, often red when fresh. Racemes axillary, 10–16-flowered, spreading or drooping, ¾–2 in. long; peduncle slender, tetragonous; pedicels opposite and decussate, about ⅙ in. long; bracts obsolete. Flowers ½–¾ in. long, orange-yellow. Calyx-limb minute, cupular,. truncate. Corolla slender, swollen above the base; petals united almost to the middle, upper part sharply reflexed, linear-spathulate. Anthers small, linear-oblong. Style rather longer than the corolla; stigma large, capitate.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 107. L. polvchroa, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvii. (1885) 241.

North and South Islands: Not uncommon in Fagus forests from the Ruahine Mountains and Mount Egmont southwards. Sea-level to 2500 ft. December–February.

Usually parasitic on the various species of Fagus.

L. tenuiflorus, Hook. /. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 100.—A small glabrous shrub; branches slender, terete. Leaves opposite, 1–1½ in. long, obovate or obovate-oblong, obtuse, narrowed into short slender petioles, veins few, slender. Flowers about 1 in. long, in axillary trichotomous puberulous panicles; peduncles and pedicels slender, divaricating, about ¼ in. long. Corolla slender, terete, curved; petals very narrow, united ⅔-way up, but perhaps ultimately separating. Anthers oblong, versatile. Style slender; stigma simple.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 107.

North Island: Locality unknown.

Founded upon a single specimen in the Kew Herbarium, the exact locality of which is not known. It is evidently a most distinct species, differing from all others found in New Zealand in the many-flowered trichotomous panicles. The anthers are not fully described by Hooker, but in the "Genera Plantarum" the species is referred to the subgenus Phrygilanthus (now often kept as a distinct genus), in which they are versatile.