Variable mistletoe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Variable mistletoe |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Amyema
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| Species: |
congener
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| Collections data for A. congener from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
The variable mistletoe, also known as Amyema congener, is a special kind of flowering plant. It grows in eastern Australia. This plant is an epiphyte, which means it grows on other plants. It is also a hemiparasite, getting some of its food and water from its host. You can often find it on trees like Allocasuarina and Acacia, and even some non-native trees. It belongs to the plant family Loranthaceae.
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Who Named This Plant?
A scientist named Franz Sieber first wrote about this plant in 1829. He called it Loranthus congener. Later, in 1894, another scientist, Philippe Édouard Léon Van Tieghem, gave it the name we use today: Amyema congener.
What Does Variable Mistletoe Look Like?
This mistletoe grows like a small shrub. It can either stand up straight or hang down from a tree branch or trunk. It connects to the host tree with a round, woody base.
Stems and Leaves
The stems and leaves of the variable mistletoe are smooth. The leaves are thick and feel like leather. They can be shaped like a spear (lanceolate) or more oval. They are about 4 to 11 centimeters (1.6 to 4.3 inches) long. They are also about 1 to 5.5 centimeters (0.4 to 2.2 inches) wide.
Flowers and Fruit
You can see flowers on this plant at any time of the year. The fruit is round and about 0.8 centimeters (0.3 inches) across. These fruits become ripe during the summer months, from December to February. Each fruit has one seed inside. This seed is covered in a sticky layer.
Where Does Variable Mistletoe Grow?
The variable mistletoe is found in eastern Australia. It grows on many different types of trees.
Common Host Plants
Its main host plant is the black sheoak (Allocasuarina littoralis). It also grows on other trees like:
- Forest oak (A. torulosa)
- Gossamer wattle (Acacia floribunda)
- White feather honeymyrtle (Melaleuca decora)
- Prickly-leaved tea tree (M. styphelioides)
- Prickly-leaved paperbark (M. nodosa)
- Snow-in-summer (M. linariifolia)
- Green native cascarilla (Croton verreauxii)
- Red olive plum (Elaeodendron australe)
It can also grow on fruit trees like peach, plum, and pear trees. Another host is the oleander (Nerium oleander). Sometimes, but not often, it grows on gum trees. These include Eucalyptus obtusifolia and smooth-barked apple (Angophora costata).
Who Eats Variable Mistletoe?
The mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum) enjoys eating the fruit of the variable mistletoe.
Plant Pests
Some small insects can attack the variable mistletoe. These include types of scale insects. Examples are Ceroplastes cerciferus, C. rubens, and Aspidiotus aurantii.
How Does Variable Mistletoe Grow?
Life Cycle and Germination
When a mistletoe seed lands on a tree branch, it starts to grow right away. The seedling quickly pushes into the tree's water transport system, called the xylem. This creates a connection between the mistletoe and the host tree. From this point on, the young mistletoe plant gets all its water and important minerals from the host tree.
