Preliminary observations on Korthalsella (Viscaceae) with special reference to vascular patterns

Sixty-two specimens covering the range of morphological variation in Korthalsella were examined to determine the arrangement, number, and taxonomic significance of their vascular bundles. Vascular anatomy is described in some detail. It was found that the vascular patterns fall into two major groups: between 2 to 6, usually 4, bundles or between 8 to 16, usually 8 to 10. These two groups do not coincide with the previous infrageneric classification, therefore the characters used in the previous classifications and the difficulties associated with them are discussed.