'' Korthalsella rubra'' (common name - Jointed mistletoe)
[ is a ]flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
in the Santalaceae (sandalwood) family,[ formerly placed in the ]Viscaceae
Viscaceae is a taxonomic family name of flowering plants. In this circumscription, the family includes the several genera of mistletoes. This family name is currently being studied and under review as in past decades, several systems of plant taxon ...
.
Description
It grows to about 16 cm,[ and has distinctive green to yellow-green segmented branches which are flattened. The minute flowers are found within cushions at the nodes between the segments, separating into the edges as the segments grow larger.][
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Distribution
It is found in eastern Australia from Gippsland (Victoria) to Cape York (Queensland).[
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Ecology
It is a host plant for the butterfly, ''Delias nysa
''Delias nysa'', common name yellow-spotted jezebel (Australian subspecies), is a butterfly in the family Pieridae, described in 1775. It is found in Australia (New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria), New Caledonia and Vanuatu. The wingspan i ...
'',[ and can be found on some 25 or more different host species.][
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Taxonomy
It was first described as ''Bifaria rubra'' by Philippe Édouard Léon Van Tieghem in 1896.[ In 1897, Adolf Engler assigned it to the genus, '' Korthalsella'', renaming it, ''Korthalsella rubra''.][ This taxonomy is accepted by the CHAH, but others][ consider it a synonym of ''Korthalsella japonica'' f. ''rubra'' (Tiegh.) Molvray.
Australian taxonomic sources accept two subspecies, ''Korthalsella rubra'' (Tiegh.) Engl. subsp. ''rubra'',][ and ''Korthalsella rubra'' subsp. ''geijericola'' Barlow.][
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References
External links
''Korthalsella rubra'' Occurrence data from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium
Santalaceae
Flora of New South Wales
Parasitic plants
Plants described in 1896
rubra
{{Santalales-stub