LORANTHUS, in botany, a genus of the mono-
gynia order, belonging to the hexandria class of plants.
There is only one species, a native of America, dis-
covered by Father Plumier, and found growing natu-
rally at La Vera Cruz by Dr Houston. It rises with
a shrubby stalk, eight, or 10 feet high, dividing into
several branches, having at their ends clusters of small
scarlet-coloured flowers, succeeded by oval berries with
a pulpy covering, and a hard shell with one cell, in-
closing several compressed seeds. It is propagated by
seeds, which should be sown soon after they are ripe;
otherwise they are very apt to miscarry, or lie a year in
the ground without germinating. The plants require
always to be kept in a bark-stove.