| Tristerix | |
|---|---|
| Tristerix corymbosus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Santalales |
| Family: | Loranthaceae |
| Genus: | Tristerix Mart. |
| Species | |
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Tristerix is a genus of mistletoe in the family Loranthaceae, native to the Andes from Colombia to Chile. They are a woody perennial usually occurring as an aerial parasite, often pollinated by hummingbirds. Recents phylogenetic studies of the 11 known Tristerix species divides the genus into 2 subgenera; Metastachys and Tristerix with 9 and 2 species, respectively (though this was not confirmed by ITS analysis).
The species T. aphyllus is a parasite of cacti in Chile. Is is only known to grow on two species of columnar cacti: Echinopsis chilensis and Eulychnia acida. Tristerix is sometimes called the "cactus mistletoe." It should not be confused with the mistletoe cactus, which is an epiphytic cactus, and not a parasite.