Geographical Distribution of Phacellaria Benth. (Santalaceae) and its Hosts

Abstract

Based on the geographical distribution of the species of Phacellaria and its host plants in the world, we speculated on the possible time, sites, and migration of the origin of Phacellaria. The host plants of Phacellaria mainly belong to Loranthaceae. Plants of Phacellaria and their hosts are mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical areas. The plants of Phacellaria might have originated from a tropical area in the south of China before the Tertiary. Their ancestors were parasitic on the ancestors of some plants of Loranthaceae by chance during the Tertiary. It possibly took them millions of years to form a sturdy relationship with their hosts.