Kingdom Plantae Family Santalaceae Scientific name Phoradendron libocedri | Order Santalales Genus Phoradendron Rank Species | |
Similar Phoradendron pauciflorum, Phoradendron juniperinum, Phoradendron villosum, Phoradendron densum, Phoradendron macrophyllum | ||
Phoradendron libocedri is a species of flowering plant in the sandalwood family known by the common name incense-cedar mistletoe. It is native to western North America from Oregon to Baja California, where it grows in forests on its host tree, the California incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens).
This mistletoe is a shrub producing greenish erect, hanging, or drooping branches from a woody base where it grows attached to the tree, parasitizing it for water and nutrients. As a hemiparasite it contains some chlorophyll and can photosynthesize some energy for itself as well. The smooth, noded branches have flattened, scale-like leaves.
The plant is dioecious, with male and female individuals producing different forms of inflorescence with knobby flower clusters. Female flowers yield light pink or yellowish spherical berries each 3 or 4 millimeters wide.