#42 Under the mistletoe

According to Pagan history, mistletoe was considered a sacred plant because it was one of the few evergreen plants in the northern hemisphere winter. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual, so be careful who you kiss under the mistletoe this Christmas.

Mistletoes in the Hunter Valley are primarily late spring and summer blooming plants and they can make a pleasant sight when most other native flowers are fading.

Probably Dendrophthoe vitellina, flowering early December

Although I am reasonably confident with my identifications here, I am not positive, so if any readers who are more experienced than I disagree with my identifications, I'd be most appreciative if you could let me know.

What are mistletoes?

Mistletoes (family Loranthaceae) are hemiparasites which rely on host trees for water and mineral nutrients, but perform photosynthesis in their own leaves.

Many advanced genera have species that are host-specific and have leaves and a general appearance closely resembling those of the host tree. Host-specificity is a feature of mistletoes of the drier open forests and woodland; those of rainforests are rarely host-specific.

A close association has developed between mistletoes and certain small birds which act as pollinating and seed dispersal agents. The Mistletoe Bird (Dichaeum hirundinaceum) feeds on mistletoe berries and insects. The seeds pass rapidly through the bird and, when excreted, adhere by the remains of the sticky pulp to a tree branch. Permanent attachment of the embryo to the branch can occur soon after.

Dendrophthoe vitellina

This is a spreading to slightly pendulous epiphyte with conspicuous yellow to orange flowers from July to January. I am slightly unsure of my identification of this species, but it is a common plant in the Hunter Valley mainly flowering from late spring through early summer.

It can make a spectacular display and is found mainly on Myrtaceae (which includes eucalypt and melaleuca) in open forest and woodland as well as roadside verges.

Leaves are greyish-green, elliptic, rounded at the apex, and with a prominent midvein. Flowers are an attractive yellow with red tip and 25 to 40mm long and borne in short dense clusters. PlantNET has more information.

A close-up of flowers of Dendrophthoe vitellina

Dendrophthoe vitellina is an attractive flowering plant

Mistletoes have a somewhat bad reputation as 'tree killers', but this is misleading. As it is in the best interests of the mistletoe to have a healthy host, it is not the object of this parasitic plant to kill its host tree. Due to land clearing to make way for agriculture, industry and residential development, fewer host trees are available, resulting in a higher per-tree distribution of mistletoes.

Amyema cambagei - Sheoak Mistletoe

This mistletoe is epiphytic on Sheoaks (Casuarina spp), especially the River Oak (Casuarina cunninghamiana), and its leaves are long and terete, mimicking those of its host.

It is a spreading to pendulous plant with crimson flowers 15 to 21mm long. There is more information on this species at PlantNET.

Flowers, fruit and leaves of the Sheoak Mistletoe

A close-up of the flowers of the Sheoak Mistletoe

There was also a broad-leaf mistletoe growing on this tall casuarina tree, but I was unable to get close enough to it to photograph it.

Amyema quandang - Grey Mistletoe

Amyema quandang var. quandang is a pendulous epiphyte with a general greyish appearance as the leaves are covered with short whitish matted hairs.

Flowers are 16 to 20mm long, green beneath grey hairs, with red stamens and style, splitting into 5 free petals. It grows on Acacia species in drier woodland, and flowers from August to December. I photographed this one mid September west of Singleton in the Hunter Valley. There is more information at PlantNET.

Delicate flowers and grey foliage of Grey Mistletoe

Fleshy pulp surrounding mistletoe seed

Drooping mistletoes are coming into flower in open forests and roadside verges in the Hunter Valley now, and the very pretty rainforest species Amylotheca dictyophleba should also be bursting into bloom. I'll get out and about and post up more mistletoes shortly.

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Christmas is different things to different people. I hope everyone stays safe and has reason to smile - and I'd like to send a special cheerio to those who are lonely, unwell or low in spirit.

Seasons greetings from Gaye