''Cycnium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae. Its native range is tropical and southern Africa and Madagascar. Plants in this genus are annual or perennial

hemiparasitic A parasitic plant is a plant that derives some or all of its nutritional requirements from another living plant. They make up about 1% of angiosperms and are found in almost every biome. All parasitic plants develop a specialized organ called the ...

herbs or small shrubs that turn black when they die. Leaves usually occur opposite or near-opposite, but occasionally alternate or in

whorls A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs). Whorls in nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral d ...

of three. Leaves may

pinnatisect The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

or bipinnatisect, with incised or entire margins, and may be sessile or shortly

petiolate Petiole may refer to: *Petiole (botany), the stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem *Petiole (insect anatomy) In entomology, petiole is the technical term for the narrow waist of some hymenopteran insects, especially ants, bees, a ...

. Flowers may be terminally

spicate This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

or racemose, solitary- axillary, or supra-axillary. Flowers are edicellate to sessile or subsessile. Bracts are leaf-like. In species in which they are present, bracteoles are inserted on the

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

or are

adnate Adnate may refer to: * Adnation, in botany, the fusion of two or more whorls of a flower * Adnate, in mycology, a classification of lamellae (gills) * Conjoined twins Conjoined twins – sometimes popularly referred to as Siamese twins – are ...

to the base of the

calyx Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to: Biology * Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...

tube. The tube-ridged calyx has 4-5 lobes which are equal or subequal. The

corolla Corolla may refer to: *Corolla (botany), the petals of a flower, considered as a unit *Toyota Corolla, an automobile model name * Corolla (headgear), an ancient headdress in the form of a circlet or crown * ''Corolla'' (gastropod), a genus of moll ...

is 5-lobed and salver-form. The tube is curved, bent, or straight, covered with stipitate glands and with a unilaterally bearded throat. The limb is bilabiate and zygomorphic, with the lower lip 3-lobed.

Anthers The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

each have one theca. The

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

is bilocular, variable, compressed or not.

Ovules In seed plants, the ovule is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells. It consists of three parts: the ''integument'', forming its outer layer, the ''nucellus'' (or remnant of the megasporangium), and the fe ...

are numerous. Fruit is either a capsule or a

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

Species

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

accepted the following species: *''

Cycnium adonense ''Cycnium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae. Its native range is tropical and southern Africa and Madagascar. Plants in this genus are annual or perennial hemiparasitic herbs or small shrubs that turn black when they d ...

'' E.Mey. ex Benth. *'' Cycnium ajugifolium'' Engl. *'' Cycnium angolense'' (Engl.) O.J.Hansen *'' Cycnium breviflorum'' Ghaz. *'' Cycnium cameronianum'' (Oliv.) Engl. *'' Cycnium chevalieri'' Diels *'' Cycnium erectum'' Rendle *'' Cycnium filicalyx'' (E.A.Bruce) O.J.Hansen *'' Cycnium herzfeldianum'' (Vatke) Engl. *'' Cycnium jamesii'' (Skan) O.J.Hansen *'' Cycnium petunioides'' Hutch. *'' Cycnium racemosum'' Benth. *'' Cycnium recurvum'' (Oliv.) Engl. *'' Cycnium tenuisectum'' (Standl.) O.J.Hansen *''

Cycnium tubulosum ''Cycnium tubulosum'', also known as the vlei ink-flower and the tissue paper flower, is a slender hemiparasitic perennial plant of the broomrape family. Its range includes much of southern and eastern Africa, from South Africa to Ethiopia, incl ...

'' (L.f.) Engl. *'' Cycnium veronicifolium'' (Vatke) Engl. *'' Cycnium volkensii'' Engl.

References

Cycnium ''Cycnium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae. Its native range is tropical and southern Africa and Madagascar. Plants in this genus are annual or perennial hemiparasitic herbs or small shrubs that turn black when the ...

Flora of Africa Orobanchaceae genera {{Orobanchaceae-stub