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Loranthaceae (mistletoe family) Life
> eukaryotes >
Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
>
Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering
plants) > Eudicotyledons > Core eudicots > Order: Santalales
Parasitic plants with green leaves that anchor themselves
to the host plant with suckers that are thought to be modified adventitious
roots.Found mainly in tropical and south temperate regions of the World. There
are about 77 genera and 950 species, with 13 genera and about 34 species in
southern Africa.
Genera in southern Africa
Actinanthella Two species,
endemic to southeastern and southern Africa, with one of them occurring in
southern Africa. |
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Agelanthus Occurs in
Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Of the 59 species, about 10 are found in
southern Africa. |
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Erianthemum Found in
central and southern Africa. There are 16 species, of which 2 species
occur in southern Africa. |
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Helixanthera About 45
species, found in Africa and tropical Asia, with 2 species in southern
Africa. |
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Moquiniella A single
species, Moquiniella rubra, found in Northern Cape, Western Cape
and Eastern Cape. |
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Oliverella The 3 species
are distributed in eastern and south-central Africa, with one of them,
occurring in southern Africa (Botswana). |
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Oncocalyx About 13
species, found mainly in arid regions of tropical Africa, with 3 species
in southern Africa. |
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Pedistylis One species, Pedistylis
galpinii, endemic to the Mpumalanga lowveld and adjoining areas of
Swaziland and Mozambique.. |
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Phragmanthera About 34
species, distributed over tropical Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, with
4 species in southern Africa. |
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Plicosepalus About 12
species, found in the arid regions of Africa, with 3 species in southern
Africa. |
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Septulina The 2 species
are found in Namibia, Northern Cape and Western Cape. |
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Tapinanthus About 30
species, distributed in the African tropics and subtropics, with 4 species
found in southern Africa. |
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Vanwykia A single species,
Vanwykia remota, found in the extreme northeast of the Kruger
National Park. |
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The true Mistletoe Viscum album (in the Asterix
books plucked by Getafix with his golden sickle) is found in Europe.
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