Western Australian Christmas tree
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| iWestern Australian Christmas tree | ||||||||||||||
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| Nuytsia floribunda (Labill.) R.Br. |
The Western Australian Christmas tree (Nuytsia floribunda) is a parasitic tree found in Western Australia. It is known for its bright yellow flowers around Christmas time (summer). It can grow to 10m tall. It is a member of the Loranthaceae or mistletoe family.
It is an obligate, root hemiparasite. It is photosynthetic and mainly obtains water and mineral nutrients from its host. When mature the roots attach themselves to the roots of nearby grasses, and draw nutrients from them. This can result in the host plant's growth slowing, but is generally not fatal to the host. It even attacks underground cables, mistaking them for roots.
[edit] References
- Calladine, Ainsley and Pate, John S. 2000. Haustorial structure and functioning of the root hemiparastic tree Nuytsia floribunda (Labill.) R.Br. and water relationships with its hosts. Annals of Botany 85: 723-731.
- Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants (ASGAP) Nuytsia floribunda
