Phoradendron californicum
Nutt.
California mesquite mistletoe, Desert mistletoe, Mesquite mistletoe
Phoradendron californicum is a shrub (parasitic) that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
Bloom Period
The blue points on the map indicate observations in Calflora.
Click on the map to view observations within a specific county.
Click on the map to view observations within a specific county.
Jepson eFlora section:
eudicot
USDA PLANTS group:
Dicot
[Wikipedia] Hemiparasitic, Flowers, Fruits, Seed Dispersement: The mistletoe is a leafless plant that attaches to host plants, often leguminous woody desert trees such as Cercidium and Prosopis.[2] Desert mistletoe takes water and minerals from its host plants but it does its own photosynthesis,[2] making it a hemiparasite. During the winter it produces inconspicuous, fragrant flowers. Female desert mistletoe plants produce red to clear berries that are eaten by the phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens), a silky flycatcher, which then spreads the seeds. Phainopeplas cannot digest the seed of desert mistletoe, so the birds disperse the seeds when they defecate or wipe their bills. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)
