Arceuthobium pusillum Peck.
Dwarf Mistletoe
| Synonyms | Razoumofskya pusilla (Peck) Kuntze Consistently listed under the current nomenclature in modern literature. |
|---|---|
| Lower taxa | none |
| Origin | native |
| Growth habit | perennial herb, parasitic on Pinaceae |
| Habitat | Young branches of black spruce (Picea mariana). Black spruce in NJ is restricted to northern glacial bogs and swamps. |
| Range | swamps with black spruce in Sussex County and probably Warren County (see comment below) |
| Frequency | rare |
| Rank | G5 NNR S1 |
| Status | New Jersey: endangered |
| Wetland status | None. Its distribution, however, is wholly dependent on facultative to obligate wetland conifers such as black spruce. Its status should be the same as its host. |
| Flowers present | April to June |
| Comments | Dwarf mistletoe is a northern parasite of black spruce (Picea mariana). The plant closely follows the distribution of its host and is found in our state only where records of black spruce exist. The land around Lost Lake, the land east of Sparta, and the Pine Swamp of High Point State Park are favorite collection sites. The earliest herbarium records available in the Chrysler Herbarium are from the 1930s. More recent records in the mid to late 1950s indicate the Pine Swamp population was persisting. Mary Hough's records indicate more recent sightings in Warren County. This record does not have herbarium representation but is used to provide the evidence to include Warren County within its New Jersey distribution. This diminutive plant mimics needle fascicles. The seeds are dispersed by birds. |