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Dwarf Mistletoes (Arceuthobium)
Dwarf Mistletoes (Arceuthobium) are parasitic plants that are found in the spruce, fir and pine forests of the Grand Canyon area, where the plant draws nutrients and water from its host tree.
The various species of dwarf mistletoe are considered pests as they distort the branches and shoots of the trees that they infect. In addition, severe infection can cause a reduction in tree growth, increased tree mortality, reduced seed and cone development, reduced wood quality, and an increased susceptibility of host trees to pathogen and insect attack. Mistletoes have very reduced shoots and leaves (mostly reduced to scales) with the bulk of the plant living under the host's bark.
They are dioecious, individual plants being either male or female. The fruits that follow fertilization are unusual in building hydrostatic pressure internally when ripe and shooting the single sticky seed up to nearly 50mph. The seeds are enveloped in a glue-like substance called viscin. Many fail to land on a suitable host's shoot, but just as many succeed, and in this way they are spread through the forests.
Dwarf Mistletoes (Arceuthobium)
Dwarf Mistletoes (Arceuthobium) are parasitic plants that are found in the spruce, fir and pine forests of the Grand Canyon area, where the plant draws nutrients and water from its host tree.
The various species of dwarf mistletoe are considered pests as they distort the branches and shoots of the trees that they infect. In addition, severe infection can cause a reduction in tree growth, increased tree mortality, reduced seed and cone development, reduced wood quality, and an increased susceptibility of host trees to pathogen and insect attack. Mistletoes have very reduced shoots and leaves (mostly reduced to scales) with the bulk of the plant living under the host's bark.
They are dioecious, individual plants being either male or female. The fruits that follow fertilization are unusual in building hydrostatic pressure internally when ripe and shooting the single sticky seed up to nearly 50mph. The seeds are enveloped in a glue-like substance called viscin. Many fail to land on a suitable host's shoot, but just as many succeed, and in this way they are spread through the forests.