(common box mistletoe)
A brief description:
Common box, or drooping, mistletoe is a hemiparasitic plant. This means it takes water and the associated dissolved nutrients (such as nitrogen) from it's host, through a structure called a haustorium. Mistletoes are stem parasites, and as such depend on their hosts for survival. Because of this, contrary to popular belief, they rarely kill their hosts. The red flowers appear in late summer and throughout autumn, and the fleshy fruits develop soon after flowering. Pollination and fruit dispersal is bird assisted, with the seeds leaving the birds gut encased in a sticky, glue-like substance. The birds then wipe this against a branch (to remove it), and the seed sticks to the branch. If it has been deposited on a suitable host, the seed will quickly germinate, and forms a strong attachment to the host.
Common hosts for this species include members of the Eucalyptus and Acacia genera.
Taxonomy:
The common box mistletoe is one species of about 100 that belongs to the genus Amyema (Family: Loranthaceae). There are about 35 species found throughout Australia.
Distribution:
A. miquilii is present in all mainland states of Australia
Conservation status: Common; widespread (throughout Australia)
Interesting things about mistletoes
Mistletoes are key food sources for birds (both pollinators and fruit eaters), as well as insects such as butterfly larvae. Mistletoes can also be nutrient accumulators. Being hemiparasitic, they are not water limited during droughts, as their hosts provide a reliable water source. Because they can rapidly use water without drying out, the nutrients carried by that water are deposited in the leaves and nutrients can accumulate. Mistletoes have been known to directly affect the distribution of nutrients in the landscape, with their leaves releasing patches of nutrients back into the soil as they decay.
No comments:
Post a Comment