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
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Santalales
Family: Santalaceae
Genus: Viscum
Species:
V. cruciatum
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]

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References

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  1. ^ "Viscum cruciatum Sieber ex Boiss". World Flora Online. The World Flora Online Consortium. n.d. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  2. ^ "Viscum cruciatum Sieber ex Boiss". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  3. ^ "Is Mistletoe Really That Poisonous?". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "European Wild Plant: Viscum cruciatum Red-berry Mistletoe". www.ukwildflowers.com. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
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