''Phoradendron densum'' Trel. is a species of flowering plant in the sandalwood family known by the common name dense mistletoe. It is native to the western United States and northwestern Mexico, where it grows in various types of woodland habitat. It has been reported from California, Oregon, Arizona and Baja California.Hawksworth, F.G., & D. Wiens. 1993. Viscaceae, Mistletoe Family. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 27:241-245. This

mistletoe Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemiparasitic plants in the order Santalales. They are attached to their host tree or shrub by a structure called the haustorium, through which they extract water and nutrients from the host plant. ...

parasitizes species of

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the ...

, including Arizona cypress ('' Cupressus arizonica''),Hosts of True Mistletoes
/ref> and

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...

( Juniperus spp.). It can be found tangled in the branches of its host tree, extending its own erect branches 30 to 50 centimeters. It has green leaves around a centimeter long and half a centimeter wide. It is

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

, with male and female plants producing different forms of inflorescence with round, knoblike flowers. The female flowers yield spherical berries each about 4 millimeters wide and yellowish or pale pink when ripe.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Phoradendron densum''''Phoradendron densum'' - Photo gallery
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7187357 densum Parasitic plants Flora of California Flora of Baja California Flora of Arizona Flora of Oregon Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Cascade Range Flora of the Klamath Mountains Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Flora without expected TNC conservation status Taxa named by William Trelease