Mistletoes (Viscum spp.)

Mistletoes include two main groups of Viscum and Loranthus species. Both are stem hemiparasites attacking different species of fruit and forestry trees and certain woody ornamentals. These parasites are green plants that have chlorophyll and can do photosynthesis. Viscum belongs to the family Viscaceae in the sandalwood order (Santalales) distributed in the tropics, North Temperate Zone and in tropical, sub-tropical and Mediterranean climatic regions in Jordan. Mistletoe has confusion in the taxonomy of Loranthus (Family Loranthaceae) and Viscum (Family Viscaceae) (Steuber, undated). Sometimes Viscum spp. is referred to as the dwarf mistletoes to distinguish them from the genus Loranthus. However, both genera are perennial leafy mistletoes of 6-7 years life span, morphologically and taxonomically related in which sometimes included under Viscaceae and similar in parasitic habit and in the form of host plants they attack. They mostly occur in the tropics, and their families are most primitive contain tree or bush-like plants. The mistletoe (Viscum and allied genera), family Viscaceae, are referring to those shrubby, parasitic cousins of sandalwood (Santalum album).