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Phoradendron leucarpum
Also called American Mistletoe, Pacific Mistletoe, Eastern Mistletoe, Hairy Mistletoe, Western Mistletoe, Christmas Mistletoe, Leafy Mistletoe
Phoradendron leucarpum is a species of mistletoe in the Viscaceae family. Its common names include American mistletoe, eastern mistletoe, hairy mistletoe and oak mistletoe. It is native to Mexico and the continental United States. It is hemiparasitic, living in the branches of trees. The berries are white and 3–6 millimeters (0.12–0.24 in). It has opposite leaves that are leathery and thick.
Ingesting the berries can cause "stomach and intestinal irritation with diarrhea, lowered blood pressure, and slow pulse". This shrub can grow to 1 meter (3.3 ft) by 1 meter (3.3 ft).
Over 60 species of trees are hosts to P. leucarpum, especially trees in the genera of Acer (maple), Fraxinus (ash), Juglans (walnuts), Nyssa, Platanus (plane trees), Populus (poplars), Quercus (oaks), Salix (willows), and Ulmus (elms). For mistletoes in general, their effects on hosts depends mainly on how severe the infection is and on drought. Light infections are generally considered harmless, while severe infections can reduce growth and cause branch dieback, especially during drought when the mistletoe keeps drawing water from a stressed host.
Phoradendron aequatoris · Bollean mistletoe · Mesquite mistletoe · Phoradendron canzacotoi · Downy mistletoe · Cory's mistletoe · Dense mistletoe · Juniper mistletoe · Incense cedar mistletoe · Colorado Desert mistletoe · Phoradendron madisonii · Phoradendron nickrentianum
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Phoradendron leucarpum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
