Helixanthera obtusata (Schult.f.) Danser in Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, Ser. 3, 10: 317. 1929. Loranthus obtusatus Schult.f., Syst. Veg. 7(2): 1650. 1830; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 205. 1886.

Branches, axillary shoots and leaves densely cinnamomeous conchiform hairy when young, glabrous when old. Leaves opposite or subopposite, ovate to suborbicular, rounded at base, obtuse at apex, 7 - 12 x 4 - 8 cm; lateral nerves 4 - 7 pairs, petioles winged towards apex, 1.5 - 2.5 cm long. Inflorescence centripetal pseudoracemes; peduncles axillary, solitary or in pairs, with 20 - 40 flowers, 3 - 6 cm long. Flowers obliquely oriented upwards or at right angles, 4- merous, 1.5 - 2 cm long, conchiform brown hairy, except corolla and ovary; pedicels 2.5 - 6 mm long; bracts ovate, carinate, 1 - 1.2 x 0.5 - 0.7 mm. Calyculus annular with undulate margin, ca 2 mm long. Petals 4, narrowly spathulate, 13 - 17 mm long. Stamens 4, erect; filaments 1 - 1.5 cm long; anthers oblong. Ovary ovoid, rugose, 3 - 3.5 mm long; style 12 - 15 mm long; stigma capitate. Fruits broadly ovoid, densely tubercled, constricted above with collar, 7 - 8 x 3 - 3.5 mm, black or blackish brown, glabrous.

Fl. & Fr. Feb. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Mostly in subtropical and temperate evergreen forests of Western Ghats, at 1000 - 2300 m altitude, found on a variety of hosts. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Endemic.

Notes. This species closely resembles H. intermedia but can be distinguished by the number of flowers in the inflorescence (20 – 40), conical, tetragonous flower buds, annular uneven-margined calyculus, glabrous petals, rugose ovary, tubercled fruits and the subspherical hornless endosperm.

Vessels of median length, pits scalariform; fibres excessively thick-walled with smooth walls and the pittings slit-like, criss-cross and without border.

Pollen 3-lobed; P - 19 (21.6) 22 µm; E - 42 (44.7) 47 µm; P/E - 0.50 µm; ex. 2 µm; col. 1 µm.