Semiparasitic woody plant with long and intricate branches 1-2 (3) m long, unarmed. It parasites branches of trees and shrubs by special organs (haustoria), from which it gets water and minerals but performs photosynthesis with its own leaves. Branches extended along the ground or among nearby plants. Sometimes it forms large subspherical tangles on the branches of trees that it parasites, 1-2 m or even larger. Twigs glabrous. Leaves 0.3-0.6(1) \u00d7 1.5-3.5 cm, glabrous, linear-oblong, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, coriaceous, green or glaucous with 3-7 longitudinal nerves, entire, with short petiole; opposite, subalternate or alternate. Inflorescences with 1-4 pedunculate umbels and each with 3-6 pentamerous flowers, zygomorphic, pedicellate; corolla linear and long, 3-5 cm long, curved, with free petals, orange-yellowish at the base and red on top part. Stamens 5, subequal, curved like the petals. The fruit is a more or less ellipsoid berry of 1-1.5 \u00d7 0.5-0.8 cm, first greenish, then red, which the birds eat, digest the fleshy part and then deposit the seed on the branches of the host trees, where they begin their germination and rooting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-11910","species","type-species","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n