Viscum cruciatum, commonly called the red-berry mistletoe, is a species of mistletoe in the family Santalaceae.[1] It is native to Lebanon, Morocco, Israel, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, and Syria.[2]
Viscum cruciatum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Santalales |
Family: | Santalaceae |
Genus: | Viscum |
Species: | V. cruciatum
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Binomial name | |
Viscum cruciatum |
The plant has small leaves. The flowers have four petals. The berries are red containing one seed. All parts of the plants are poisonous if eaten.[3][4][5] Its fruit is harmless to birds which disperse the seeds. It is used as a Christmas decoration.[4][additional citation(s) needed]
Gallery
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Viscum cruciatum
References
edit- ^ "Viscum cruciatum Sieber ex Boiss". World Flora Online. The World Flora Online Consortium. n.d. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ "Viscum cruciatum Sieber ex Boiss". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ "Is Mistletoe Really That Poisonous?". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ a b Evens, Zabrina N.; Stellpflug, Samuel J. (December 2012). "Holiday Plants with Toxic Misconceptions". Western Journal of Emergency Medicine. 13 (6): 538–542. doi:10.5811/westjem.2012.8.12572. ISSN 1936-900X. PMC 3555592. PMID 23359840.
- ^ "European Wild Plant: Viscum cruciatum Red-berry Mistletoe". www.ukwildflowers.com. Retrieved 2021-04-19.