''Lysiana subfalcata'', common name Northern mistletoe, is a spreading to pendulous hemi-parasitic shrub in the

Loranthaceae Loranthaceae, commonly known as the showy mistletoes, is a family of flowering plants. It consists of about 75 genera and 1,000 species of woody plants, many of them hemiparasites. The three terrestrial species are ''Nuytsia floribunda'' (the W ...

(a mistletoe family) which occurs in all mainland states of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

except Victoria.Barlow, B.A. (1984
Flora of Australia online: ''Lysiana subfalcata''.
Data derived from Flora of Australia Volume 22 (1984), a product of ABRS, ©Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 24 November 2018.

Description

''Lysiana subfalcata'' is a smooth mistletoe with no hairs on its branches, leaves or flowers. The leaves are oblanceolate, mostly grey-green, 20–120 mm long and 4–20 mm wide, and do not always have a midvein. The paired flowers have an unlobed or weakly lobed calyx and a corolla which is 25–50 mm long. The mature corolla is red, rarely yellow, and sometimes green or black tipped. The fruits are indehiscent, succulent, yellowish and 8–14 mm long, usually pale and somewhat translucent. ''Lysiana subfalcata'' is distinguished from other local (Northern Territory) species of Lysiana by the combination of its oblanceolate leaves, its non-winged pedicels, the paired flowers on a common peduncle, its non-septate anthers, the largely red corolla tube with green or yellow lobes, and the yellowish fruit that are longer than wide. ''Lysiana subfalcata'' can be confused with '' Lysiana spathulata'', but '' L. spathulata'' has broader leaves, septate anthers, and a slightly different host and habitat range.

Flowering and fruiting

The South Australian flora website describes it as flowering and fruiting throughout the year, but in the Northern Territory, the Northern Territory flora website states that it flowers from March to October and fruits from April to October.

Ecology

It is found in open forests and woodland. However, the Northern Territory flora website describes it as occurring on rocky or gravelly ranges, on hills or rises, on sandplains, and on intermittent watercourses and run-on areas. Major hosts for ''Lysiana subfalcata'' in

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

are species in the genera ''

Lysiphyllum ''Lysiphyllum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, subfamily Cercidoideae and tribe Bauhinieae. It belongs to the subfamily Cercidoideae. It was formerly treated as part of the genus ''Bauhinia'', but recent molecular phyloge ...

'', ''

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...

'', and ''

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

'', while in

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, and

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

(and for Australia) they are listed as species in the genera ''

Atalaya Atalaya (Spanish for watchtower) may refer to: Places Spain * Atalaya, Badajoz, a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura * Atalaya (Madrid), a ward in Madrid * Atalaya del Cañavate, a municipality in the province of Cuenca, Castile- ...

'', '' Heterodendrum'', '' Bauhinia'', '' Santalum'' and the family

Casuarinaceae The Casuarinaceae are a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants placed in the order Fagales, consisting of four genera and 91 species of trees and shrubs native to eastern Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, Malesia, Papuasia, and the Pacifi ...

. Hosts in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

are listed as including species of ''

'', '' Alectryon'', ''

'', ''

Capparis ''Capparis'' is a flowering plant genus, comprising around 250 species in the family Capparaceae which is included in the Brassicaceae in the unrevised APG II system. These plants are shrubs or lianas and are collectively known as caper shrubs o ...

'', ''

'', '' Grevillea'', '' Pittosporum'', '' Senna'' and ''

Vachellia ''Vachellia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, commonly known as thorn trees or acacias. It belongs to the subfamily Mimosoideae. Its species were considered members of genus ''Acacia'' until 2009. ''Vachellia'' can ...

''.

Ethnobotany

Aboriginal groups use ''Lysiana subfalcata'' in various ways: *The

Alyawarr The Alyawarre, also spelt Alyawarr and also known as the Iliaura, are an Aboriginal Australian people, or language group, from the Northern Territory. The Alyawarre are made up of roughly 1,200 associated peoples and actively engage in local tra ...

for food and as a source of water. *The

Anmatyerr The Anmatyerr, also spelt Anmatyerre, Anmatjera, Anmatjirra, Amatjere and other variations) are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Northern Territory, who speak one of the Upper Arrernte languages. Language Anmatyerr is divided into Easte ...

for firewood, and to make toys and weapons. *The Kaytetye use the fruit for food. *The Pintupi Luritja use the fruit for food. * The

Pitjantjatjara The Pitjantjatjara (; or ) are an Aboriginal people of the Central Australian desert near Uluru. They are closely related to the Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra and their languages are, to a large extent, mutually intelligible (all are vari ...

use the fruit as food, to make gums, as plant food for animals; the plant for shelter and shade, to make toys and weapons, fish poisons and traps. *The Waramangu for weapons and tools, fish-poisons and traps. *The Warlpiri as food, as plant foods for animals; the plant for shade and shelter, to make weapons and tools, fish-poisons and traps. *The Western Arrernte people for shade and shelter.

Gallery

Lysiana subfalcata on Lysiphyllum gilvum Burke River floodplain Boulia Queensland P1030900.jpg, Red corolla on ''

Lysiphyllum gilvum ''Lysiphyllum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, subfamily Cercidoideae and tribe Bauhinieae. It belongs to the subfamily Cercidoideae. It was formerly treated as part of the genus ''Bauhinia'', but recent molecular phylogen ...

'',Burke River floodplain, QLD Lysiana subfalcata on Lysiphyllum gilvum Burke River floodplain Boulia Queensland P1030561.jpg, on ''

'',Burke River floodplain, QLD Lysiana subfalcata IMG 20200613 161017.jpg, on ''

Atalaya hemiglauca ''Atalaya hemiglauca'', commonly known as whitewood or cattle bush, is a species of plant in the soapberry (Sapindaceae) family. It is native to northern and inland Australia where it occurs from Western Australia through the Northern Territor ...

'', Narran River floodplain, NSW Lysiana_subfalcata_P6140568.jpg, on ''

References

External links

''Lysiana subfalcata'' GBIF occurrence data
{{Taxonbar, from=Q18079900 Loranthaceae subfalcata Flora of Australia Flora of the Northern Territory Eudicots of Western Australia Flora of South Australia Flora of New South Wales Parasitic plants Plants described in 1963 Taxa named by William Jackson Hooker