| Muellerina flexialabastra | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Santalales |
| Family: | Loranthaceae |
| Genus: | Muellerina |
| Species: | M. flexialabastra
|
| Binomial name | |
| Muellerina flexialabastra | |
| |
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Muellerina flexialabastra, common name Hoop pine mistletoe, is a hemiparasitic aerial shrub in the family Loranthaceae. [3] The species is endemic to Queensland. [3]
Description
M. flexialabastra is a compact, bushy plant found in high altitude sub-tropical rainforests and the drier rainforests between Queensland and New South Wales. [3] The inflorescence is a terminal raceme off a central axis, and the pink to red tubular flowers occur in strongly reflexed, decussate pairs with a central sessile flower. [3] The ovoid fruits (6 – 15 mm long) are a red-blotched yellowish-green. [3]
Ecology
The main host on which M. flexialabastra grows is Hoop pine ( Araucaria cunninghamii). [3] An inventory of host plants for Muellerina flexialabastra is given by Downey. [4] [5]
Muellerina flexialabastra is not known to host any butterflies, but butterfly species using M. celastroides may use this mistletoe as well. [3]
Taxonomy
The species was first described by Paul Downey and Carol Wilson in 2004 as Muellerina flexialabastra. [1] [2] There are no synonyms. [1] [6]
References
- ^ a b c "APNI: Muellerina flexialabastra". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 16 October 2018.[ permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Downey, P.O.; Wilson, C.A. (2004). "Muellerina flexialabastra (Loranthaceae): a new species of mistletoe from south-eastern Australia". Australian Systematic Botany. 17 (5): 441. doi: 10.1071/SB03018. ISSN 1030-1887. (pp.444-445, Fig. 1)
- ^ a b c d e f g Moss, J.T. & Kendall, R. (2016) The Mistletoes of subtropical Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club Inc. Runcorn Queensland.
- ^ Downey, P.O. (1998) An inventory of host species for each aerial mistletoe species (Loranthaceae and Viscaceae) in Australia. ( Cunninghamia 5(3) 685-720)
- ^ Downey, P.O. (2004) A regional examination of the mistletoe host species inventory. ( Cunninghamia 8(3) 354-361)
- ^ Govaerts, R. et al. (2018) Plants of the world online: Muellerina flexialabastra. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 16 October 2018.