''Muellerina'' is a genus of parasitic arial shrubs in the family
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 ...
.
This Loranthaceae genus is distinguished from others by having
[Barlow, B.A. (1984) "Loranthaceae" in Flora of Australia Volume 22 Rhizophorales to Celastrales (p.70). Commonwealth of Australia]
*Petals free to base or almost so
*Anthers dorsifixed, versatile
*Aerial stem-parasitic shrubs with epicortical runners
*Petals 5, curved; stamens unequal
Species include:
*''
Muellerina bidwillii''
(Benth.) Barlow
*''
Muellerina celastroides''
(Sieber ex Schult. & Schult.f) Tiegh.
*''
Muellerina eucalyptoides''
(DC.) Barlow
*''
Muellerina flexialabastra''
Downey & C.A.Wilson
*''
Muellerina myrtifolia''
(A.Cunn. ex Benth.) Barlow
Ecology
The larvae of the Australian butterflies ''
Delias harpalyce'' and ''
Ogyris genoveva
''Ogyris genoveva'', the genoveva azure or southern purple azure, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Australia.
The wingspan is about 50 mm. Adult males are metallic purple, while females are black with metallic azure ...
'' feed on ''Muellerina''.
An inventory of host plants for ''Muellerina'' spp. is given by Downey
Taxonomy
''Muellerina'' is a member of
Santalales
The Santalales are an order of flowering plants with a cosmopolitan distribution, but heavily concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions. It derives its name from its type genus ''Santalum'' (sandalwood). Mistletoe is the common name for a ...
, the mistletoe order, and is placed within the family
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 ...
. The name ''Muellerina'' was first published by
Philippe Édouard Léon Van Tieghem
Philippe Édouard Léon Van Tieghem (; 19 April 1839 – 28 April 1914) was a French botanist born in Baillleul in the département of Nord. He was one of the best known French botanists of the latter nineteenth century.
Life
Van Tieghem's f ...
in 1895, where one New Zealand species, ''Muellerina raoullii'', and two Australian species (''Muellerina celastroides'' and ''M. eucalyptifolia'' - now ''M. eucalyptoides'') are given. Further Australian ''Muellerina'' species are listed in van Tieghem.
A further article by van Tieghem further discussing the relationships of
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 ...
genera is van Tieghem.
[van Tieghem, P. E. L. (1895). "Sur Le Groupement Des Espèces En Genres Dans Les Loranthées A Calice Dialysépale Et Anthères Oscillantes Ou Struthanthées.]
Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France 42(2): 161-180
/ref>
Image gallery
File:Mistletoe Muellerina eucalyptoides.jpg, ''Muellerina eucalyptoides'', Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is a national park on the northern side of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The park is north of the Sydney central business district and generally comprises the land east of the M1 Pacific Motorway, sout ...
, NSW, 27 January 2017 (host: Eucalyptus haemastoma)
File:Mistletoe Muellerina eucalypoides 1.jpg, ''Muellerina eucalyptoides'', Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is a national park on the northern side of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The park is north of the Sydney central business district and generally comprises the land east of the M1 Pacific Motorway, sout ...
, NSW, 27 January 2017 (host: Angophora crassifolia)
File:Mistletoe flower (3214513795).jpg, ''Muellerina eucalyptoides'', near Ulan, NSW, 9 January 2009
File:Mistletoe buds (3214517103).jpg, ''Muellerina eucalyptoides'' (buds), near Ulan, NSW, 9 January 2009
File:Adam Forster05.jpg, Plate depicting ''Muellerina eucalyptoides'' by Adam Forster in A Brilliant Touch (2010) C. Mattingly
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q9035641
Parasitic plants
Loranthaceae genera