Feature Plants Botany under the Mistletoe Twisters, spitters, and other flowery thoughts for romantic moments Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterPinterestPocketRedditPrint By Susan Milius November 22, 2004 at 7:08 pm In a down-under flip-flop, the December-blooming Christmas mistletoe in southwestern Australia grows into a tree that parasitizes a network of little plants. The Nuytsia floribunda, which can reach 30 feet high, preys upon grass and even the domestic carrot. Del Wiens A double-decker parasite, the mistletoe with the more yellow tinge, Phoradendron scabberimum, is growing on a species in the same genus. Nickrent These red flowers don’t belong to the cactus but to a quintral mistletoe that lives protected within the cactus column except for its bursts of blooms. John Reynolds Only a few native bird species have the knack of twisting this mistletoe bloom so the flower splits and the stamens spring forward to dust the bird with pollen. Kelly More Stories from Science News on Plants Plants Projectile pollen helps this flower edge out reproductive competition By Nala RogersSeptember 17, 2024 Plants This tentacled, parasitic ‘fairy lantern’ plant is new to science By Jake BuehlerJune 17, 2024 Life The largest known genome belongs to a tiny fern By Jake BuehlerMay 31, 2024 Plants Plant ‘time bombs’ highlight how sneaky invasive species can be By Susan MiliusApril 23, 2024 Ecosystems Flowers may be big antennas for bees’ electrical signals By Rachel BerkowitzApril 9, 2024 Animals Big monarch caterpillars don’t avoid toxic milkweed goo. They binge on it By Susan MiliusMarch 8, 2024 Environment How air pollution may make it harder for pollinators to find flowers By Saugat BolakheMarch 7, 2024 Animals Giant tortoise migration in the Galápagos may be stymied by invasive trees By Jake BuehlerMarch 1, 2024