Flora of the Southeastern United States

Phoradendron leucarpum (Rafinesque) Reveal & M.C. Johnston. Common name: American Mistletoe, Christmas Mistletoe, Gui (fr), Couronne de chêne (frc). Phenology: Oct-Nov (-Mar); Nov-Jan (-May). Habitat: Parasitic on various species of trees, especially abundant in swamp forests (perhaps because they are less frequently cut and have older, more mature hardwoods). Distribution: New Jersey west to s. Ohio, s. Indiana, and s. Missouri, south to s. Florida and s. Texas.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Kuijt (2003) interpreted this as a species (as P. serotinum) with four subspecies; Phoradendrom serotinum ssp. serotinum is the eastern component, ranging from NJ west to s. OH, s. IN, and s. MO, south to s. FL and s. TX. The same four subspecies were recognized by Abbott & Thompson (2011), under what has now been ruled to be the correct species name: P. leucarpum (Applequist 2012). The lengthy and arcane debates about the correct nomenclature are summarized by Abbott & Thompson (2011), and references cited therein. Hawkins (2010) studied the subspecies and population structure in P. leucarpum and found complex patterns of molecular and morphological variation that do not readily correspond to the subspecies. While the best taxonomic resolution is unclear, we accept two taxa at species rank: Phoradendron leucarpum (in our region) and P. macrophyllum in sw. US and Mexico.

Other Comments: Phoradendron is, of course, the mistletoe familiar (at least traditionally) in e. United States as a Christmas decoration. Kuijt (1982) comments that "the superficial likeness of Phoradendron serotinum to the European Viscum album has made the transfer of the latter's folklore to North America easy;" Viscum album was a sacred plant of Celtic and druidical pre-Christian European societies. The white berries of P. leucarpum are extremely poisonous. Their sticky flesh promotes the dispersal of the seeds by birds from tree to tree.

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, Fl4, Il, K1, K4, NY, Pa, POWO, Tn, WH3; = Phoradendron flavescens (Pursh) Nutt. — F, G, Tat, WV; = Phoradendron serotinum (Raf.) M.C.Johnst. — C, RAB, W, Kuijt (1982); > Phoradendron eatonii Trel. — S; > Phoradendron flavescens (Pursh) Nutt. — S; < Phoradendron leucarpum (Raf.) Reveal & M.C.Johnst. — FNA12; > Phoradendron leucarpum (Raf.) Reveal & M.C.Johnst. — NS; > Phoradendron leucarpum (Raf.) Reveal & M.C.Johnst. ssp. leucarpum — Mo3, NSProv, Va, Abbott & Thompson (2011); > Phoradendron macrotomum Trel. — S; > Phoradendron serotinum (Raf.) M.C.Johnst. — GrPl; > Phoradendron serotinum (Raf.) M.C.Johnst. ssp. serotinum — Kuijt (2003); > Phoradendron serotinum ssp. tomentosum — Kuijt (2003); > Phoradendron tomentosum (DC.) Engelm. ex A.Gray — GrPl, NcTx, NS; > Phoradendron tomentosum (DC.) Engelm. ex A.Gray ssp. tomentosum — Tx. Basionym: Viscum leucarpum Raf. 1817

Links to other floras: < Phoradendron leucarpum - FNA12

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Heliophily ⓘ: 7