Semi-parasitic woody plant with long and intricate branches up to 1-2(3) m long, unarmed. Through special organs, it parasitizes the branches of the trees and shrubs on which it lives (haustoria), from which it obtains water and minerals but performs photosynthesis with its own leaves. Sometimes it forms large subspherical tangles of up to 1-2 m or even more on the branches of the trees it parasitizes. Twigs glabrous. Leaves 3-7.5 \u00d7 0.5-3 cm, oblong-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, sometimes obovate, slightly curved, obliquely cuneate, glabrous, coriaceous, green or slightly glaucous, with 3-5 longitudinal nerves, entire, opposite, subaltern or alternate; petiole 3-10 mm. Inflorescences with 1-2(4) pedunculated umbels, each with 1-2 flowers, pentameric, zygomorphic and pedicelate. Corolla linear (2.5)3-4.5 cm long, curved, with petals welded together in the lower half, bright red, orange or yellowish in color. Stamens 5, subequal, curved like the petals. The fruit is an oblong-ellipsoid berry of c. 1.2 \u00d7 1 cm, greenish at first, 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 to germinate and take root.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-44977","species","type-species","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n