Phoradendron capitellatum
Phoradendron bolleanum
downy mistletoe, hairy mistletoe, woolly mistletoe
Bollean mistletoe, fir mistletoe
green, densely hairy, hairs stellate, fine, white;
internodes terete, 5–15 × 1–2 mm.
green, brown, reddish brown, or orange, glabrous or slightly puberulent, hairs simple;
internodes terete, to 2 cm.
green, well developed;
petiole indistinct;
blade narrowly elliptic to spatulate or oblanceolate, 8–15 × 1–3 mm, fleshy, base cuneate, apex rounded or acute;
basal phyllotaxy 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, 1 mm.
petals 3–4, 1–2 mm.
pinkish white, globose, 3.5 × 3.5 mm, glabrous.
white to pink, ovoid, 3.5–5 × 3.5–5 mm, glabrous.
inflorescences 3–5 mm;
peduncle with 1 internode, 0.5–2.5 mm;
fertile internodes 1–2, each 6-flowered, seriation unknown, flowers 3 (2 proximal, 1 distal) per bract.
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 3–5 mm;
peduncle with 1 internode, 0.5–2.5 mm;
fertile internodes 1–2, each 2-flowered, flowers 1 per bract, deeply embedded in axis.
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 capitellatum
Phoradendron bolleanum
Phoradendron capitellatum is parasitic exclusively on Juniperus (for example, J. monosperma, J. osteosperma, and J. pinchotii). This species has sometimes been classified as a subspecies of P. bolleanum; however, it differs in flowering time, basal phyllotaxy, stellate pubescence, and inflorescences sometimes with more than one fertile internode. These two species, along with P. juniperinum, were supported as monophyletic using molecular data, although relationships among them were not fully resolved (V. E. T. M. Ashworth 2000). These parasites of conifers were all classified in sect. Pauciflorae Engler in the sense of D. Wiens (1964).
(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.)
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