Viscum cruciatum Red-berry Mistletoe
Mistletoe species tend to be hemi-parasitic in that they can take nutrients from a host but also photosynthesise using their green leaves. Although the leaves look very similar to our British Mistletoe (Viscum album), the red berries make it quite distinctly different. As with many of this genus the four petalled flowers are green, very small and held in clusters. It is dioecious so male and female flowers, which form the red berries, are on different plants. The plant is very poisonous to humans in all parts but birds quite happily eat the berries.
It typically parasitises hawthorn or olive trees and is commonly found in this part of Andalucia and Sierra Grazelema.
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| Viscum cruciatum Red-berry Mistletoe |
Countryside near El Burgo, Andalucia, Spain 24th March 2017
Added on 29th December 2017