Leafy mistletoe

Dendrophthoe falcata is one of the hemiparasitic plants that belong to the mistletoe family Loranthaceae. It is the most common of all the mistletoes that occur in India. At the moment reports say that it has around 401 plant hosts. The genus Dendrophthoe comprises about 31 species spread across tropical Africa, Asia, and Australia (Flora of China, 2003) among which 7 species are found in India.

D.falcata bears grey bark, thick coriaceous leaves variable in shape with stout flowers (Wealth of India. 2002). The inflorescence of D.falcata was described formerly as axillary or as developing from the scars of fallen leaves, but Y.P.S Pundir (1996) determined it to be of strictly cauliflorous nature and noted also that it bears a certain similarity to those of the fig species Ficus glomerata, F. pomifera and F. hispida. Two of its varieties are widespread in India namely, var. falcata (honeysuckle mistletoe) and var. coccinea (red honeysuckle mistletoe) distinguishable by their bearing white and red flowers respectively. (Flowers of India).

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