Viscum capitellatum Sm. (Santalaceae): A New Distributional Record to Odisha and Range Extension to the Eastern Ghats, India

Abstract

Viscum capitellatum Sm. (Santalaceae) is reported for the first time from the Koraput district, adding a new record to the flora of Odisha. The species was collected during a floristic survey conducted in November 2025 in the Semiliguda Range of the Koraput Forest Division, where it was observed hyperparasitizing Scurrula cordifolia growing on Mangifera indica. Detailed examination of collected material confirmed its identity as V. capitellatum, a species previously known from Sri Lanka and the southern Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The present record extends its distribution northwards into the Eastern Ghats. The species is a small, evergreen, monoecious, semi-parasitic herb characterised by dense branching, swollen nodes, cylindrical internodes and variably developed leaves that are often reduced to minute scales. Its distinctive cymose inflorescence arise from leaf axils. Male flowers bear two free perianth lobes with sessile stamens, while female flowers possess conical, valvate perianth lobes and an inferior ovary. The smooth green drupes are ellipsoid to ovoid, narrowed below the persistent perianth rim. Present communication provides a comprehensive taxonomic account of V. capitellatum, including its description, diagnostic characters, habitat details, photographs and herbarium documentation (APRFH-204). The new distributional record enhances understanding of the genus Viscum in India and highlights the parasitic diversity of the Eastern Ghats, a region still underexplored for mistletoe flora.