''Phoradendron leucarpum'' is a species of

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. ...

in the Viscaceae family which is native to the United States and Mexico. Its common names include American mistletoe, eastern mistletoe, hairy mistletoe and oak mistletoe. It is native to Mexico and the continental United States. It is

hemiparasitic A parasitic plant is a plant that derives some or all of its nutritional requirements from another living plant. They make up about 1% of angiosperms and are found in almost every biome. All parasitic plants develop a specialized organ called the ...

, living in the branches of trees. The berries are white and . It has opposite leaves that are leathery and thick. Ingesting the berries can cause "stomach and intestinal irritation with diarrhea, lowered blood pressure, and slow pulse". This shrub can grow to by .

Culture and tradition

''Phoradendron leucarpum'' is used in North America as a surrogate for the similar European mistletoe '' Viscum album'', in Christmas decoration and associated traditions (such as "kissing under the mistletoe"), as well as in rituals by modern druids. It is commercially harvested and sold for those purposes. ''Phoradendron leucarpum'' is the state floral emblem for the state of

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. The state did not have an official flower, leaving mistletoe as the assumed

state flower This is a list of U.S. state, federal district, and territory flowers. See also *List of U.S. state trees * Lists of U.S. state insignia References External linksList of state flowers {{USStateLists * U.S. state flowers Flowers ...

until the

Oklahoma Rose The ''Rosa'' Oklahoma is a dark red rose cultivar with a strong and sweet fragrance. The hybrid tea rose was developed at Oklahoma State University by Herbert C. Swim and O. L. Weeks before 1963 and introduced in 1964. It was hybridised from the ...

was designated as such in 2004.

Ecology

Over 60 species of trees are hosts to ''P. leucarpum'', especially trees in the genera of '' Acer'' (maple), ''

Fraxinus ''Fraxinus'' (), common name, commonly called ash, is a genus of flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45–65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous, though a number of Subtropics, subtropic ...

'' (ash), '' Juglans'' (walnuts), '' Nyssa'', '' Platanus'' (plane trees), ''

Populus ''Populus'' is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar (), aspen, and cottonwood. The we ...

'' (poplars), '' Quercus'' (oaks), '' Salix'' (willows), and '' Ulmus'' (elms).

Wildlife

While the sticky substance covering the fruits is toxic to humans, it is a favorite of some birds.

References

leucarpum Parasitic plants Flora of the United States Flora of Mexico Plants described in 1817 Poisonous plants {{Santalales-stub