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Nuytsia floribunda, commonly known as Western Australian Christmas tree, 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 hosts. The haustoria borne on the roots of Nuytsia attach themselves to roots of many nearby plants and draw water and therefore nutrients from them. Almost all species are susceptible to attack, haustoria have even has been found attached to underground cables. In natural settings Nuytsia withdraws relatively little from each individual host but is attached to so many other plants that the benefit to this parasitic tree is likely to be considerable.
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