Helixanthera wallichiana (Schult.f.) Danser in Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, Ser. 3, 10: 319. 1929. Loranthus wallichianus Schult.f., Syst. Veg. 7: 100. 1829; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 204. 1886.

Shrubs; branches and leaves cinnamomeous conchiform hairy when young, glabrous when old. Leaves opposite, or alternate, elliptic to elliptic-ovate, rarely orbicular, attenuate at base, subacute or obtuse at apex, entire or denticulate along margins, 4 - 13 x 2.5 - 6 cm, coriaceous, glabrous; lateral nerves 3 or 4 pairs; petioles articulated when old, 3 - 8 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescences axillary, centripetal pseudoracemes; peduncles 1 - 3 in each axil, each with 10 - 15 flowers, 3.5 - 4 cm long, cinnamomeous conchiform hairy. Flowers scarlet red, geniculate, 4-merous, cinnamomeous conchiform hairy; pedicels at right angles to peduncles, 2 - 2.5 mm long; bracts ovate, sigmoid, up to 2 mm long. Calyculus truncate with hairy membranaceous rim. Petals 4, almost free, linear, 4 - 5 mm long, subglabrous. Stamens 4; filaments adnate to petals, free above, 3.5 - 4 mm long, red; anthers clavate, up to 1 mm long. Ovary urceolate, densely conchiform hairy, 1 - 1.5 mm long; style 4-gonous; stigma capitate. Fruits urceolate, later turning ovoid or ellipsoid, up to 4.5 x 2.5 mm, densely or sparsely conchiform hairy, sparsely tuberculate, overtopped by persistent base of calyculus.

Fl. & Fr. April - Nov.

Distrib. India: Moderate altitudes from 500 to 1500 m, found on a limited number of hosts, i. e. Cinnamomum wightii, Ficus asperrima and Memecylon malabaricum. Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Endemic.

Notes. Mesophyll contains abundant sclereids; vessel pittings scalariform; fibres very excessively thick-walled with or without narrow lumen.

Pollen 3-lobed; P - 18 (33) 27 µm; E - 33 (34.8) 44 µm; P/E - 0.66 µm; ex. 0.3 µm; col. 1 µm.