Mistletoe
(Phoradendron serotinum)
Adopted in 1893.
Mistletoe, Phoradendron seotinum,
is the oldest of Oklahoma's symbols,
adopted first in 1893, 14 years before
statehood. Its greenery in the harsh
winter months symbolizes the
perseverence of early settlers. The
colors of the foliage of mistletoe and
its berries, green and white, are the
state colors of Oklahoma.
Mistletoe phoradendron serotinum the oldest of Oklahoma's symbols,
adopted in 1893 - 14 years before
statehood. Mistletoe grows on trees
throughout the state and is particularly
bountiful in the southern regions of
Oklahoma. The dark green leaves and
white berries show up brightly during
the fall and winter in trees that have
shed their own leaves.
Mistletoes are a group of vascular,
flowering plants that parasitize stems
of trees and shrubs. There are 700-1400
species (depending who you ask) of
mistletoe worldwide found in the
Viscaceae and Loranthaceae families,
located mainly in tropical and
subtropical regions of the world. Even
the family has several synonyms. Renamed
by our own Dr. James Reveal as
Phoradendron leucarpum (Johnston and
Reveal), American mistletoe was
previously know as P. serotinum, P.
flavescens. Phoradendron has a wide
geographic distribution and is found in
the US from New Jersey to Florida to
Texas. It has a broad host range and
parasitizes mostly hardwoods.
Two genera of mistletoes grow in the
United States: the "dwarf mistletoes"
(genus Arceuthobium),and the
"true mistletoes" (genus
Phoradendron). An introduced
mistletoe, the European Viscum album,
has been found only in northern
California--the apple growing region
around Sebastopol and Santa Rosa. This
mistletoe was presumably brought into
this area inadvertently in the early
1900's on apple stock from Europe. Since
then, it has spread over about a 16
square mile area, and is found on at
least 20 other native and introduced
hardwood tree and shrub species.
This family is characterized by
semiparasitic plants, attached to trees
or shrubs by haustoria, lacking ordinary
roots, but having green (chlorophyllous)
leaves and stems; leaves: opposite;
flowers: inconspicuous; ovary: inferior;
stamens: as many as and opposite the
perianth-lobes.
The mistletoes are green, flowering
plants that require a living host. Some
are rather specific and grow on only a
single genus of tree; others occur on a
wide range of hardwood species. Even
though they are completely parasitic,
they do manufacture much of their own
food materials by photosynthesis and in
general require only water and mineral
elements from the host plant. In the
absence of the green aerial portions of
the mistletoe plant, how ever, the root
system of the parasite can utilize host
nutrients and remain alive within an
infected branch for many years. The
mistletoes are dioecoius in that male
and female flowers are borne on separate
plants. Because male and female flowers
are so similar in appearance it is
difficult to tell the sex of the plant
unless fruit are present.
Mistletoe infections are spread mainly
by birds (robins, bluebirds, thrushes,
cedar waxwings, phainopeplas) that feed
on the berries. The berries are round,
white to pink in color, occur in spikes
and are about one-quarter inch in
diameter. A berry usually holds a single
seed surrounded by a sticky pulp. Birds
digest the pulp of the berry and excrete
the living seed. By this means seeds are
often deposited on susceptible trees. A
viscous coating and hair-like threads on
the outer surface of the seeds attach
excreted seeds firmly to tree branches.
Upon germinating, the growing radicle
becomes tightly pressed to the branch
surface. Young or small trees are seldom
infected by mistletoe. In nearly all
cases, initial infection occurs on
larger or older trees because birds
prefer to perch in the tops of taller
trees. Severe buildup of mistletoe often
occurs within an infected tree because
birds are attracted to and may spend
prolonged periods feeding on the
mistletoe berries.
Infection takes place by means of a
specialized, penetrating structure that
forces its way through the bark and into
the living host tissues. Once infection
has occurred, the root system of the
parasite grows within the branch. The
aerial shoot system begins to develop
shortly after the root system is well
established. Often several years are
required after infection for a new seed
bearing plant to develop. The parasite
usually does not spread rapidly, but
once a plant is established, the root
system gradually extends up and down the
branch. Defoliation or destruction of
the aerial portion does not kill the
mistletoe. New shoots may be produced
from the root system or the parasite may
survive and grow entirely within the
infected host tissues. Not until the
tree dies, or the infected portion dies
or is removed, is the mistletoe killed.
The mistletoes are rather intolerant
of cold and near their northern limits
aerial shoots are frequently killed by
low winter temperatures
Title 25. Definitions and General
Provisions
Chapter 3.- State Flag and Other
Emblem
§92. State floral emblem.
The mistletoe shall be the floral
emblem of the state.
R.L.1910, § 2952.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
|
Kingdom |
Plantae -- Plants |
Subkingdom |
Tracheobionta --
Vascular plants |
Superdivision |
Spermatophyta – Seed
plants |
Division |
Magnoliophyta –
Flowering plants |
Class |
Magnoliopsida –
Dicotyledons |
Subclass |
Rosidae – |
Order |
Santalales – |
Family |
Viscaceae – Christmas
Mistletoe family |
Genus |
Phoradendron
Nutt. – mistletoe |
Species |
Phoradendron tomentosum
(DC.) Engelm. ex Gray –
Christmas mistletoe |
|