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D E S C R I P T I O N OF ITS F I R S T SPECIES
JOB KUIJT
The mistletoe genus Ixocactus is at present a nebulous entity. Its only appearance
in botanical literature has been in Rizzini's (1952) generic treatment of Brazilian
mistletoes. Except for some incidental comments scattered through Rizzini's text,
Ixocactus appears only in his key (p. 118). The relevant statement in this key
therefore becomes the generic diagnosis, and I quote it in full: "Stirps aphylla. Flores
unissexuales, 4-6 in axilles squamarum solitarii." No specific epithet is given, no
specimen cited, and no locality provided. We shall see that this brief diagnosis
contains an important inaccuracy: the flowers are in reality perfect.
M y first acquaintance with this truly remarkable mistletoe genus came when
studying a recent Colombian collection by Mr. P. C. Hutchison of the University
of California, Berkeley. Some characters of these plants tallied with the Ixocactus
diagnosis, and when Dr. T. Lasser, Caracas, kindly lent me the material upon which
Rizzini had based his new genus, it became at once apparent that the Colombian and
Venezuelan collections were identical. I am thus in a position to describe the type
of the genus, i.e., its first (and only) species. Rizzini's specific epithet, not published
but written on the label of the Venezuelan collection, referred to the simplicity of
the flower. This epithet, especially in view of Rizzini's erroneous view of the unisexual
floral condition, is misleading. Instead, I take pleasure in naming this species after
Mr. Paul C. Hutchison, indefatigable botanical collector of the Andean region.
FIGS. 1-6. Ixocactus hutchisonii. FIG. 1. Habit. FIG. 2. Vascular structure of flower in Fig. 3.
FIG. 3. Flower, the two nearest petals removed. FIG. 4. M a t u r e flower. FIG. 5. Two adjacent
petals as seen from within the flower. FIc. 6. Fruit. (Hutchison & Idrobo 3008.)
64 BRITTONIA [VOL. 19
Fits. 7-12. lxocactus hutchisonii, Hutchison & ldrobo 3008. FIG. 7. Pollen, polar and
equatorial view. Diameter of grain ca 100 ~. FIa. 8. Apical portion of branch showing scale
leaves. Fic. 9. Axillary branching pattern. Axillant scale leaf below; all other brackets represent
prophylls (see text). Fic. 10. Transection of closed flower. FIG. 11. Insertion on branch of
Phthirusa sp. FIc. 12. Insertion on epicortical root, perhaps of Oryctanthus sp.
A third attachment is illustrated in Fig. 11. I t is evident from the haustorial skele-
ton (not shown here) that a gradual transition, a harmonious fusion, is present be-
tween the host and the parasite. The darker wood becomes irregular in its surface
contours near the host wood, but no individual haustorial strands are formed. This
is typical of a hyperparasitic connection ( K u i j t 1964a) b u t does not necessarily
mean that the parasite is unable to form a more elaborate haustorial system on non-
mistletoes. Since a certain correspondence exists between the gross wood structure of
this host branch and that of O r y c t a n t h u s we can perhaps say that all three specimens
66 BRITTONIA [VOL. 19
were growing on other mistletoes. The host branch parasitized by the Venezuelan col-
lection also appears to be a Phthirusa-like plant, although I cannot be certain of it.
One may search in vain through the many Loranthacean genera for mistletoes
showing close affinities with Ixocactus. Even where superficial similarities attract
the attention, as with the near-sessile flowers of the paleotropical genera Sogerianthe
(Danser 1933) and Barathranthus (Prakash 1963), the remaining differences pro-
hibit a close alliance. The rare occurrence of single axillary flowers in SSruthanthus
oerstedii (Kuijt 1964b) is also probably unrelated to the absence of anything like an
inflorescence in Ixocacsus.
Considering the nearly perfect separation of genera in the Old World from those
of the New World in the family, it is probably advisable to look for possible affinities
of Ixocactus with neotropicaI genera. I would suggest that OryctanShus is the only
Loranthacean genus showing any affinities with Ixocactus worth mentioning. Spheri-
cal pollen, very exceptional among Loranthaceae, is known from OrycSanthus (Kuijt
1961). OrycSanthus, also, has flowers which are completely sessile on an axis, even
if this axis happens to be an inflorescence axis. In fact, when we ignore the dis-
crepancy in size and petal number, the flowers of Oryctanthus (and its close relative
Phthirusa) and Ixocactus are very similar indeed. The major differences separating
the two genera are found in the epicortical roots, foliage leaves, and inflorescences of
Oryctanthus, to which are added very striking pollen-grain differences. Even with
respect to the latter it is interesting to note that only these two genera have diverged
from the typical, smooth, nearly triangular Loranthacean pollen type in the Americas.
Geographically, Ixocactus seems to occupy the core of the Oryctanthus territory.
It is rather strange that Ixocactus has had to wait so long to be properly described.
The Venezuelan collection bears the vernacular name "tifia" (dye), which may either
indicate confusion with other mistletoes, or suggest common occurrence. The Colom-
bian material was gathered from cultivated orange trees. It seems reasonable to pre-
dict, therefore, that the apparent rarity of Ixocactus is to some degree a function of
its humble appearance.
A word may finally be said with regard to the vasculature of the flower as it ap-
pears from material cleared in N a O H and chloral hydrate (Fig. 2). In a tetramerous
flower four vascular strands enter the base of the ovary and run the length of it to
supply the four petals. In some cases, just below the stamen, a simple dichotomy is
seen, one branch leading into the tip of the connective of the anther, the other running
the length of the petal. In other cases no branch is given off, the trace running
directly into the connective, leaving the remainder of the petal without vascular
supply. This seems to be true especially in many petals bearing the stamen in the
lower position. One instance has been noted where, on the contrary, the stamen was
evascular and the trace led into the tip of the petal. The latter situation is often met
in Viscaceae. Four very delicate strands reach about halfway up the style. They
remain separate and unbranched when followed downward, but their contact with
petal traces could not be ascertained in cleared material. Indeed, in position these
traces alternate with those of the petals, and there may not be any xylem continuity
at this time. In trimerous flowers a corresponding organization exists, showing three
petal traces and three stylar traces.
I t is a pleasure to acknowledge the assistance of three colleagues, the first two
from Utrecht, the last from Berkeley: Dr. Karel U. Kramer for the Latin diagnosis,
and Drs. Frans A. Stafleu and Paul C. Silva in matters of nomenclature.
LITERATURE CITED
Danser, B.H. 1933. A new system for the genera of Loranthaceae-Loranthoideae, with a nomen-
clator for the Old World species of this subfamily. Verh. Kon. Akad. Wetens. Amsterdam,
1967] KUIJT: IXOCACTUS 67