Kingdom Plantae Family Loranthaceae Scientific name Peraxilla tetrapetala | Order Santalales Genus Peraxilla Rank Species | |
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Similar Peraxilla, Ileostylus, Fuscospora solandri, Fuscospora cliffortioides, Loranthaceae | ||
Peraxilla tetrapetala, or red mistletoe, is an endemic parasitic plant in New Zealand. The Māori names for the plant are pikirangi, pirirangi and roeroe.
It is a shrub up to one metre tall with glabrous leaves. The flowers are 4-5 mm long, bright red to orange in colour which split open to the base. Red mistletoe is found as a parasitic plant on Quintinia and Nothofagus species.
The caterpillar of the endemic moth Zelleria maculata feeds on the inside flower buds of P. tetrapetala.
Conservation
The plant is highly palatable to the introduced Common Brushtail Possum resulting in a threat to the plant population.
Red mistletoe is listed as in "Gradual Decline" in the New Zealand Threat Classification System and relies on conservation measures to halt the decline.