Phoradendron californicum
Phoradendron bolleanum
California mesquite mistletoe, desert mistletoe, mesquite mistletoe
Bollean mistletoe, fir mistletoe
grayish green to reddish green (in full sun), densely hairy, hairs silvery white, closely appressed, becoming glabrate;
internodes terete, 10–20(–30) × 1–1.7(–2.5) mm.
green, brown, reddish brown, or orange, glabrous or slightly puberulent, hairs simple;
internodes terete, to 2 cm.
grayish green, scalelike;
blade triangular, 1.5–3 mm, apex acute;
basal phyllotaxy transverse or median.
green, well developed, glabrous or slightly puberulent, hairs simple;
petiole very short or absent;
blade terete to narrowly oblong or oblanceolate, 7–35 × 1–10 mm, thin, base slightly tapered, apex acute-apiculate to rounded;
basal phyllotaxy transverse.
petals 3(–4), 1–2 mm.
petals 3–4, 1–2 mm.
white, translucent yellowish, pinkish, orange-red, or maroon, globose, 3–6 × 3–6 mm, glabrous.
white to pink, ovoid, 3.5–5 × 3.5–5 mm, glabrous.
inflorescence 5–25 mm, peduncle with 1(–2) internodes, each 0.5–3 mm;
fertile internodes (1–)2–3(–5), each 6–14-flowered, biseriate, flowers 1–3 per column.
inflorescences 3–6 mm, glabrous or slightly puberulent, hairs simple;
peduncle with 1 internode, 1–2 mm;
fertile internode usually 1, 6–20-flowered, triseriate, flowers 1–3 per column or not in columns.
inflorescences 5–10 mm, elongating in fruit;
peduncle with 1(–2) internodes, each 0.5–3 mm;
fertile internodes (1–)2–4(–6), each 2-flowered, flowers 1 per bract.
inflorescences 3–6 mm, elongating in fruit, glabrous or slightly puberulent, hairs simple;
peduncle with 1 internode, 1.5–3 mm;
fertile internodes 1(–2), each 2-flowered, flowers 1 per bract.
= 28.
= 28.
Phoradendron californicum
Phoradendron bolleanum
Phoradendron californicum, like P. juniperinum, bears only scalelike leaves, but this character has evolved independently in the two species (V. E. T. M. Ashworth 2000). Phoradendron californicum differs by its different hosts (legumes versus conifers) and inflorescences with more than one fertile internode. Molecular data indicate that P. californicum is not part of the acataphyllous Boreales group in the sense of W. Trelease (1916) but allied with cataphyllous tropical species (Ashworth). Varieties and host races have been proposed but these are not recognized in the most recent monograph of the genus (J. Kuijt 2003). In addition to its primary hosts, Prosopis, Senegalia, and Vachellia, Phoradendron californicum has also been recorded from a number of other hosts including Condalia, Dalea, Ebenopsis, Havardia, Larrea, Olneya, Parkinsonia, and sometimes is hyperparasitic on Psittacanthus.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
This treatment follows J. Kuijt (2003), who considered Phoradendron bolleanum to be a widespread and variable species complex. The three main taxa that often have been recognized as species are Phoradendron bolleanum in the narrow sense, P. densum, and P. pauciflorum,. Phoradendron bolleanum in the narrow sense has small, narrow leaves and frequently parasitizes Juniperus as well as Arbutus. The P. pauciflorum variant has broad leaves and mostly parasitizes Abies concolor. The P. densum variant tends to have leaves that are intermediate between those of the other two variants; it ranges from Oregon to Mexico and parasitizes Cupressus and Juniperus. Molecular analyses indicate that P. bolleanum is not monophyletic unless P. minutifolium Urban is synonymized with the other variants. Hybrids between P. bolleanum and P. juniperinum produce plants closely resembling P. minutifolium (D. Wiens and M. DeDecker 1972). As pointed out by Kuijt, molecular studies will be required to determine species boundaries within this complex.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
