Muellerina myrtifolia

Muellerina myrtifolia, common name myrtle-leaved mistletoe,[4] is a hemiparasitic arial shrub in the family Loranthaceae.[5] The species is endemic to New South Wales and Queensland.[5]

Muellerina myrtifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Santalales
Family: Loranthaceae
Genus: Muellerina
Species:
M. myrtifolia
Binomial name
Muellerina myrtifolia
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms[3]

Furcilla myrtifolia (A.Cunn. ex Benth.) Tiegh.
Loranthus myrtifolius A.Cunn. ex Benth.
Phrygilanthus myrtifolius (A.Cunn. ex Benth.) Eichler
Tupeia myrtifolia (A.Cunn. ex Benth.) Chalon

Description

M. myrtifolia is a rainforest mistletoe with small ovate, sessile leaves with a shiny upper surface and a dull lower surface, and measuring 15-20 mm long.[6] New growth is russet-coloured.[4] The inflorescence is a paired umbel which hangs from the foliage on long stalks, with each flower being a long red and yellow or red and white tube with dark, projecting stamens.[4][6] The oval shaped fruit are a dull green which ripens to a brownish-red, and have a prominent flower-scars.[4]

Ecology

The main hosts on which M. myrtifolia grows are vines, in particular, Wonga vine (Pandorea pandorana), Jasminum species, and Parsonsia species.[4] An inventory of host plants for Muellerina myrtifolia is given by Downey.[7][8]

Muellerina myrtifolia is not known to host any butterflies.[4]

Taxonomy

The species was first described by George Bentham in 1867 as Loranthus myrtifolius.[1][9] It was redescribed by B.A.Barlow in 1962 as Muellerina myrtifolia, with the current description of the species being that of Barlow in 1984.[1][10]

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References
  1. "APNI: Muellerina myrtifolia". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  2. 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
  3. Govaerts, R. et. al. (2018) Plants of the world online: Muellerina myrtifolia. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  4. Watson, D.M. (2011) Mistletoes of Southern Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria
  5. Quirico, A.L. "Muellerina myrtifolia". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  6. Moss, J.T. & Kendall, R. (2016) The Mistletoes of subtropical Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club Inc. Runcorn Queensland.
  7. Downey, P.O. (1998) An inventory of host species for each aerial mistletoe species (Loranthaceae and Viscaceae) in Australia. (Cunninghamia 5(3) 685-720)
  8. Downey, P.O. (2004) A regional examination of the mistletoe host species inventory. (Cunninghamia 8(3) 354-361)
  9. Bentham, G. (1867), Orders XLVIII. Myrtaceae- LXII. Compositae. Flora Australiensis 3: 390
  10. Barlow, B.A. in George, A.S. (ed.) (1984), Loranthaceae. Flora of Australia 22: 88, 90, Map 101
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