When many people think
of mistletoe, they think of a Christmas season plant that is hung in doorways,
often to providing an excuse to kiss a love interest. However, traditions
withheld, Dwarf Mistletoe often plays a large role in the coniferous forests of
the Pacific Northwest; it is a hemi-parasitic plant (able to photosynthesize
but receives nutrients and water from its host) within the Viscacae that grows on a wide range of native conifers, often
inducing “witches brooms”, a deformity in the growth of the tree that results
in many shoots sprouting from a single point. This ends up looking like a broom
or a bird’s nest (Pscheidt).
jeffco.us
Among the forty-two various
species of Arceuthobium, the majority
of native conifers are susceptible to at least one Dwarf Mistletoe; common
hosts are Western Larch (Larix
occidentalis), Lodgepole pine (Pinus
contorta), Ponderosa pine (Pinus
ponderosa), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga
menzesii), and Western Hemlock (Tsuga
heterophylla). While
Dwarf Mistletoe is likely to be found where these trees are, they are limited
to a subset of the tree distribution due to climatic conditions (Barrett,
2012).
I thought this was a good introduction to the topic, and appreciated the connection to common knowledge. My only criticism would be that the first citation looks enlarged and highlighted, probably just a formatting error. Great start!
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