Barba de Angel, Feathery Mistletoe

Description:

Superior Taxa: Misodendraceae / Santalales / Rosidae
Barba de ángel, Barba de chivo, Injerto, Misodendro.
Ésta es una planta parásita (hemiparásita) que crece sobre árboles de Ñirre, Lenga, Coihue de Magallanes y Maqui.

Feathery Mistletoe
Aerial hemiparasites endemic to temperate forests of Chileand Argentina that parasitize Nothofagus. This mistletoe is unique in that it has feathery staminodes on its winddispersed achenes.
The fruit is a wind dispersed achene with threefeathery appendages of varying length dependingupon the species. The appendages not only keepthe fruit aloft but also aid in attachment to the host branch. Upon germination, the green hypocotylwith a sticky apical holdfast adheres to the host branch. The radicle develops an haustorium thatfirst attaches to the host epidermis and then entersthe cortex. The haustorium branches out and penetrates into the host phloem and then xylem ina manner analagous to the cortical strands andsinkers of Viscaceae (Johnson 1889; Tercero-Bu-cardo and Kitzberger 2004).

Habitat:

Misodendrum oblongifolium crece entre la Región del Bío Bío hasta la Región de Aysén .

Notes:

The long “hairs” are actually the flowers.
The third picture is in the same place, but about 7 years before, couldn't manage better pictures while riding a horse.