Viscaceae

• Viscum minimum

• Common Name:
• Family: Viscaceae Miers.

• Country of Origin: South Africa
• Habitat: parastic on Euphorbia polygona and E. horrida

• Description: A rare stem parasite growing on only two species of Euphorbia - E. polygona & E. horrida. The range of the former is from Uitenhage to Albany in the Cape Province and the latter ranging in the Willowmore area.
  Most of the plant consists of branching haustoria within the host plant. The visible portions consist of minute stems with a single 0.5mm internode and a whorl of 2 or 3 scale leaves (both photosynthetic, hence a hemiparasite) and a single inflorescence. Each inflorescence has 2 or 3 scale-bracts at the base, in the axils of which other cymules may arise. The whole inflorescence may thus be rather congested. The fruit is a smooth, red, globose berry 8-9mm in diameter.

  Additional images:
  Viscum minimum flowers on Euphorbia host
  Viscum minimum fruits on Euphorbia host