Overview ⁵

Mainly a coastal and lowland species which rarely extends into upper montane forest. Prefers shrubland and secondary regrowth. This species shows some regional host specificity but nevertheless has been recorded from a wide range (nearly 300) of indigenous and exotic hosts. One of the few indigenous mistletoe's to regularly
grow in urban situations.
Features: Woody, epiphytic much branched, bushy hemiparasite. producing multiple haustoria (these attaching at intervals long host branch) and epicortical, often spiraled roots. Leaves opposite, coriaceous.
Petioles`550 mm long, flattened and slightly winged. lamina 3060(80)× 1540(68)mm, dark green to yellow-green, broadly elliptic, slightly ovate, ovate, obovate to rhomboid, base attenuate, apex obtuse to rounded. Inflorescences axillary, solitary of paired, in cymose panicles, these 1015(20)mm long with 8912(15)
flowers arranged in threes. Flowers male, female or hermaphroditic (the dioecious condition most commonly seen when Ileostylus is parasitic on species of totara (Podocarpus spp.). Calyx cylindrical, presenting as an truncate rather obscure narrow rim 0.2 mm high. Petals 4, free, c.34mm × 0.81.6mm, greenish to yellow-green.
Anthers 4, basifixed. Style contorted, usually initially coiled in middle, up to 3.04.5mm long when uncoiled. Ovary 1locular. Fruit a 1seeded,58mm, yellow or orange, ellipsoid or globular (rarely ellipsoidglobular)
berry. Seed 5.05.5mm long, elliptic, rounded at both ends, terete.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/16921893@N00/5646005662
2. (c) Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/mollivan_jon/11940009095/
3. (c) Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/mollivan_jon/2226664633/
4. (c) Jon Sullivan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/mollivan_jon/8662622550/
5. (c) clairewebster, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• World Flora Online

iNat Map