Twin-leaved mistletoe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Twin-leaved mistletoe
Scientific classification
Genus:	Amyema
Species:	benthamii
Where A. benthamii has been found in Australia

The Amyema benthamii, also known as the twin-leaved mistletoe or Bentham's mistletoe, is a special kind of flowering plant. It grows on other plants, but it's not a tree itself. This plant is a hemiparasitic plant, which means it gets some of its food and water from its host plant, but it can also make its own food using sunlight.

This mistletoe belongs to the Loranthaceae family. You can find it growing naturally in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It likes to live in areas with dry woodlands. The plant is named after George Bentham, a famous English botanist. He wrote the first book about all the plants in Australia, called Flora Australiensis, a long time ago.

What Does it Look Like?

This mistletoe has thin stems. Its leaves grow in pairs, one opposite the other. The leaves are bluish-green and don't have stalks, so they sit right on the stem. They are about 2 centimeters (about 1 inch) long.

The flowers of the twin-leaved mistletoe are quite pretty. They have reddish-brown stalks and hang down in groups of three. The flower buds are reddish-purple with green parts at the bottom and top. When they open, you can see pale green petals and many stamens (the parts that make pollen) sticking out. This plant usually grows in a way that looks spread out and not very dense.

Where Does it Grow?

The twin-leaved mistletoe is a bit picky about where it lives, but it can grow on many different types of plants! Scientists have found A. benthamii growing on 31 different kinds of host plants. These host plants come from 18 different plant families.

The most common plant it likes to grow on is the bottletree. You might also find it on Owenia trees or different types of Acacia trees. It's interesting how it chooses its homes!

Images for kids

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  Where A. benthamii has been found in Australia