Muellerina celastroides | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Santalales |
Family: | Loranthaceae |
Genus: | Muellerina |
Species: | M. celastroides |
Binomial name | |
Muellerina celastroides | |
Occurrence data from AVH | |
Synonyms[1] | |
Dendrophthoe celastroides (Sieber ex Schult. & Schult.f.) Mart. |
Muellerina celastroides, common names Banksia mistletoe and coast mistletoe,[3] is a hemiparasitic aerial shrub in the family Loranthaceae.[4] The species is endemic to New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.[4][5]
Muellerina celastroides is an erect or spreading plant which is smooth except for the inflorescence axis which is covered with minute, brown, densely matted woolly hairs.[6][7] The leaves are oblong to elliptic and 2.5–7 cm long and 15–25 mm wide, with a rounded apex and an attenuate base.[6][7] The inflorescence is a raceme of 1–3 pairs of triads, with the stems of lateral flowers being 3–6 mm long.[6][7] The calyx is entire and about 1 mm long.[6][7] The corolla in mature bud is 22–35 mm long.[6][7] The anthers are about 1.5 mm long, with the free part of filament being 8–13 mm long.[7] The fruit is pear-shaped, 7–11 mm long, and green grading to light red.[6][7]
The most frequently recorded hosts on which M. celastroides grows are Allocasuarina, Banksia, and Eucalyptus species, but it frequently is found on exotics and on other mistletoes.[3] An inventory of host plants for Muellerina celastroides is given by Downey.[8][9]
Muellerina celastroides hosts the butterflies: Delias nigrina, Delias argenthona, Hypochrysops digglesii, Ogyris abrota, Ogyris zosine and Candelides margarita.[3][10]
The species was first described by Franz Sieber in 1829 as Loranthus celastroides.[1][11] It was redescribed by van Tieghem in 1895 as Muellerina celastroides.[1][2]