Southland’s Native Mistletoes
There are 7 mistletoe species in New Zealand, and one extinct mistletoe. Most are nationally threatened species such is their rareness. Mistletoes are unusual plants, they “live off” another host plant. The New Zealand mistletoes are more unusual still – they take half their nutrients from their host but they can also photosynthesise. The technical term for this is “hemi-parasitic”. Unfortunately most mistletoes don’t have common names as they have never been “common”!
The most noticable flowering mistletoes are the three species of beech mistletoes (Peraxilla colensoi, P. tetrapetala and Alepis flavida), with their spectacular large bright red or yellow flowers. These flowers are almost exclusively pollinated by tui and bellbirds who can twist open the flower to obtain the nectar. Thus the mistletoe needs these specific birds and the birds need the plant. These mistletoes only grow on beech trees so you won’t find them in Otatara. However, you will find three different mistletoe species – Korthalsella salicornioides – the smallest mistletoe in the world! – usually found on manuka or Coprosma propinqua (mingimingi); Tupeia Antarctica – usually found on marbleleaf or lowland ribbonwood and Ileostylus micranthus. The latter species is the most common and has a lot of hosts including many exotic species. To spot Ileostylus look for a plant that looks like broadleaf which seems to be growing on another type of tree or shrub. Although this species has insignificant flowers, it does have bright yellow fruit which are favoured by birds. All mistletoes are “ice-cream” plants for possums and many have become locally extinct in other places in New Zealand for that reason. You can make a difference to mistletoes locally by trapping possums.
You can learn more about these and other native plants on the New Zealand Plant Conservation Website - www.nzpcn.org.nz
Posted: 5 February 2015