DaveO Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Oldfield, D. 2016. Muellerina eucalyptoides (DC.) Barlow (Loranthaceae) Creeping Mistletoe. Flowers photographed in visible and ultraviolet light. http://www.ultraviol...ping-mistletoe/SynonymsLoranthus eucalyptoides DC.Dendrophthoe eucalyptoides DC.Muellerina eucalyptifolia (Sieber ex Schult. & Schult.f.) Tiegh. Maldon, Victoria, Australia14 January 2016Australian Native Wildflower as Garden Specimen CommentMuellerina eucalyptoides is a widespread species in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia which has mainly Angophora and Eucalyptus as hosts. Visible Light: Nikon D750 Full Spectrum Modification, Nikon Rayfact PF10545 MF-UV 105 mm f/4.5 lens, Metz 15 MS-1 flash, 1/200 s @ f/16 ISO 200, Baader UV/IR Cut Filter.Image Reference: DO62450 Ultraviolet Light: Nikon D750 Full Spectrum Modification, Nikon Rayfact PF10545 MF-UV 105 mm f/4.5 lens, Nissin Di866 Mark II flash, 1/200s @ f/16 ISO 200, Baader UV-Pass Filter.Image Reference: DO62452 Ultraviolet Induced Visible Fluorescence: Nikon D750 Full Spectrum Modification, Nikon Rayfact PF10545 MF-UV 105 mm f/4.5 lens with Baader UV/IR Cut Filter, Nichia NCSU033A UV-LED with Baader UV-Pass Filter, 10.0 s @ f/11 ISO 1250.Image Reference: DO62453 References:Elliott, W.R. and Jones, D.L. Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants suitable for cultivation, Lothian 1993, Volume 6, p. 454.Watson, D.M. Mistletoes of Southern Australia, CSIRO Publishing, 2011, p. 94. Published 15 January 2016 Link to comment
Cadmium Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Wow Dave, Very interesting flower, and the UVIVF shot is quite nice! Link to comment
nfoto Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Is anything known about the pollinators of this mistletoe? Link to comment
DaveO Posted January 15, 2016 Author Share Posted January 15, 2016 It seems that they are likely to be bird pollinated to the quote Watson, p 124 "Australian mistletoes display the suite of floral characteristics that typify bird-pollinated plants". We do have honeyeaters locally which are said to be the main pollinators - Eastern Spinebills, New Holland Honeyeaters and Red Wattlebirds. "Their long bills are considered to be ideally suited to extracting nectar from these narrow flowers." Before I started UV photography I thought that all mistletoes were the same - how wrong I was, I have now found four different species in our own garden within perhaps 100 m of each other! Another Trivial Pursuit fact for you - Tasmania does not have mistletoes. Since this is the time of year for mistletoe flowers I will post new examples of the other three to include UVIVFL. Another quote "Australia is home to 91 species of mistletoe from three of the four families in which aerial hemiparasitism evolved independently" "Despite popular opinion, mistletoes are not introduced plants - every mistletoe plant growing in Australia is a native plant". Link to comment
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