Mistletoes are plants that live on, and parasitise, other plants. They produce some of their own resources through photosynthesis but they also tap into the resources of their host through special roots called haustoria. They are therefore classed as "stem hemi-parasites".
We have eight spectacular mistletoe species in New Zealand that belong to three groups: beech, green and pygmy mistletoes. The beech mistletoes almost always grow on beech trees and have great displays of bright flowers. The green mistletoes are less specific in their host preferences and have less colourful flowers, and the pygmy mistletoes are very very small and hard to spot amongst their scrubby host trees.
Why are our mistletoes spectacular? Because they are SO interesting! Here are 5 facts to prove my point. For more information I suggest exploring the University of Canterbury Mistletoe Research Group webpage.
1. The two Peraxilla species in the beech mistletoe group have beautiful flowers that can only be opened by birds or bees who tear the top off the fused petals, allowing the flower to burst open and spray the pollen over the face of the bird or if lucky, the body of the bee. Check out this video! (you might have to slow it down to see the action - the bellbird is best).
We have eight spectacular mistletoe species in New Zealand that belong to three groups: beech, green and pygmy mistletoes. The beech mistletoes almost always grow on beech trees and have great displays of bright flowers. The green mistletoes are less specific in their host preferences and have less colourful flowers, and the pygmy mistletoes are very very small and hard to spot amongst their scrubby host trees.
Why are our mistletoes spectacular? Because they are SO interesting! Here are 5 facts to prove my point. For more information I suggest exploring the University of Canterbury Mistletoe Research Group webpage.
1. The two Peraxilla species in the beech mistletoe group have beautiful flowers that can only be opened by birds or bees who tear the top off the fused petals, allowing the flower to burst open and spray the pollen over the face of the bird or if lucky, the body of the bee. Check out this video! (you might have to slow it down to see the action - the bellbird is best).
Image from www.biol.canterbury.ac.nz/mistletoes/images/bkgd-pcol.jpg
2. The specialised roots of the mistletoes penetrate the host stem and remove enough resources to assist their growth but not so much as to kill the host.
3. Six of the eight species are endemic - they occur only in New Zealand and have adapted to our weird and wonderful ecosystems.
Beech forest - the home of beech mistletoes. Photo: Catherine Kirby
4. The pygmy mistletoes have mildly-explosive seed dispersal mechanism. Flesh of the fruit is like an open-ended cylinder and when it begins to ripen the tissues swell and eventually build enough pressure to eject the seed.
Image of non-native Korthalsella (pygmy) seed dispersal (no photos of NZ species available). Sourced from: http://www.anbg.gov.au/mistletoe/exploding-fruits.html
5. As discovered by the Canterbury Mistletoe team Our mistletoes are some of few NZ forest species to benefit from forest fragmentation. This is attributed to two factors: 1) the mistletoes do well in high-light environments and 2) the native caterpillar that predates on their flowers (Zelleria maculata) does not do as well in fragments.
Image from: http://www.biol.canterbury.ac.nz/mistletoes/images/poll-zelleria.jpg
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