Muellerina eucalyptoides, commonly known as creeping mistletoe,[2] is a hemiparasitic aerial shrub in the family Loranthaceae. The species is endemic to Australia.[3]
Taxonomy
Muellerina is a member of Santalales, the mistletoe order, placed within the family Loranthaceae. The name Muellerina was first published by Philippe Édouard Léon Van Tieghem in 1895,[4] where one New Zealand species, Muellerina raoullii, and two Australian species (Muellerina celastroides and M. eucalyptifolia - now M. eucalyptoides) are given.[5] Further Australian Muellerina species are listed in van Tieghem.[6]
Another article by van Tieghem further discussing the relationships of Loranthaceae genera is van Tieghem.[7]Muellerina eucalyptoides was first described as Loranthus eucalyptoides by de Candolle in 1830,[8] and revised in 1962 to Muellerina eucalyptoides by Barlow[9]
Description
M. eucalyptoides is pendulous in habit, unlike other Muellerina species, but has the long epicortical runners of all Muellerina species.
The leaves are opposite with indistinct venation. Mainly flowering in summer, the inflorescence is terminal, racemose with usually 3–4 opposite pairs of triads of flowers, with the central flower sessile, and the lateral flowers having pedicels. Corolla curved in bud, free, 5-merous. Stamens are unequal, with anthers dorsifixed and versatile. The fruit is pear-shaped.[3]
Propagation in Melbourne street trees
In 2017, as part of an experimental effort to increase biodiversity in Melbourne street trees, over 800 seeds of M. eucalyptoides were attached to London plane (Platanus × hispanica) trees in the Melbourne urban area.[10] Researchers have stated that:[11]
Many birds prefer to nest in mistletoe because it provides dense shade and cover - which is important in a setting like Melbourne where many of the large urban trees are deciduous.
M. eucalyptoides was chosen for the experiment because it grows on non-native host species, whereas many other Australian mistletoes are host-specific.[11]
A follow-up survey found 24 live seedlings - a success rate of around 3% that is considered good for propagation of mistletoe.[12]
^ abQuirico, A. L. "Muellerina eucalyptoides". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
^Tieghem, P.E.L. van (1895) Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France 42: 25, 85, 175
^de Candolle, A.P.(1830), Loranthaceae. Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis 4: 318 [1][permanent dead link]
^Barlow, B.A. (1962), Studies in Australian Loranthaceae. I. Nomenclature and new additions. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 87(1): 55 [2][permanent dead link]
^"Mistletoe survey". Participate Melbourne. City of Melbourne. 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
^Moss, J.T. & Kendall, R. (2016) The Mistletoes of Subtropical Queensland, New South Wales .and Victoria. Butterfly & Other Invertebrates Club Inc, Runcorn, QLD
^Downey, P.O. (1998) An inventory of host species for each aerial mistletoe species (Loranthaceae and Viscaceae) in Australia. (Cunninghamia 5(3) 685-720)
^Downey, P.O. (2004) A regional examination of the mistletoe host species inventory. (Cunninghamia 8(3) 354-361)