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European Mistletoe
Viscum album
ヤドリギ
An evergreen hemiparasitic plant that parasitizes deciduous broadleaf trees such as Quercus serrata and Celtis sinensis. Spherical clumps attach to tree branches and grow. In winter, it bears translucent white to yellow berries, which are favored by thrushes that disperse the seeds.
Identification Points
- ✓Spherical green clumps parasitize host tree branches
- ✓Leaves are opposite, thick, coriaceous, and yellowish-green; evergreen
- ✓Fruits are translucent white to yellowish-green and mucilaginous
Habitat
On branches of deciduous trees such as Quercus, Fagus, and Celtis
Season
March–April (flowers); November–February (fruit)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Evergreen/Deciduous
Evergreen
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Flowering season
Winter
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf margin
Entire
Stipules
Absent
Leaf dissection
Undivided
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Ovary position
Inferior
Phylogenetic Positionヤドリギ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Santalales > Loranthaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous (ca. 85 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
The mistletoe family comprises hemiparasitic plants that retain chlorophyll, absorbing only water and mineral salts from the host while synthesizing organic compounds through photosynthesis. The viscous fruits are specialized for bird dispersal.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
Needs review