Annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs, parasitic or hemiparasitic. Leaves sessile, alternate, scale-like or ± linear. Flowers bisexual, solitary or in cymes, each flower subtended by 1, often conspicuous, bract which is often adnate to the pedicel or peduncle and 2 bracteoles or (in T. atrum and T. fastigiatum) by an involucre of 4 or more bracts. Perianth (3-4-)5-lobed, often with conspicuous external glands on the perianth tube below the sinuses of the lobes. Stamens as many as lobes; anthers (in ours) attached to lobes by tufts of hairs. Ovary with 3 ovules. Stigma capitate. Fruit a nut, rarely fleshy, usually 10-ribbed, crowned with the persistent perianth. Comment: A very difficult genus to identify in the field at species level. Almost all distinguishing features are based on measurements or characteristics of minute parts, which can only be seen and compared reliably under a microscope. Worldwide: 325 species in the Old World Mozambique: 24 taxa. Insects associated with this genus:
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Species | FZ divisions | Content |
asterias A.W. Hill | MS | |
brevibarbatum Pilg. | MS | Description |
breyeri N.E. Br. | GI,M | |
chimanimaniense Brenan[NrEnd][LR-nt] | MS | |
cymosum A.W.Hill | MS | |
dissitum N.E.Br. | T | |
dolichomeres Brenan[NrEnd][LR-nt] | MS | Description, Image |
fastigiatum A.W. Hill | N,Z | Description, Image |
fimbriatum A.W. Hill | N | |
goetzeanum Engl. | MS | Description, Image |
gracile A.W. Hill | Z,MS,M | |
inhambanense Hilliard[End] | GI | |
mukense A.W. Hill | M | |
multiramulosum Pilg. | M | |
nigricans Rendle | MS | Description, Image |
pygmaeum Hilliard[NrEnd] | MS | Description, Image |
resedoides A.W. Hill | M | |
scirpioides A.W. Hill | M | |
subaphyllum Engl. | N | |
triflorum L.f. | GI | |
unyikense Engl. | T | |
ussanguense Engl. | MS | |
vahrmeijeri Brenan[NrEnd] | GI,M | |
whyteanum Rendle | MS | Image |