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Mistletoe

Phoradendron leucarpum

Published on Project Noah
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30.0219, -81.3374

Field Notes

Description:

Epiphyte. Parasitic-kills lateral branches. Larva of the purple hairstreak feed on this.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (5)

Thank you guys for the input it's greatly appreciated. We look forward to more updates as well!!
Oh, I hadn't noticed you were new here - welcome to Noah! Looking forward to more spottings from the reserve,
I like parasites and hadn't heard of this one before. In the UK Mistletoe refers to Viscum album alone! Shame the leaves aren't visible. By the way, epiphytes are not parasitic as they grow 'upon' their host, rather than depending on them like obligate parasites such as this.
I had to look up the "giant purple hairstreak" (ie, it's not what I see on the teens at the high school...). So do the caterpillars eat the mistletoe? What kind of a tree is this growing on? I've only seen it on oaks.
Photographed
PublishedJanuary 19, 2012

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