About Amyema miquelii (Lehm. ex Miq.) Tiegh.
Amyema miquelii, commonly called box mistletoe, is a species of flowering plant. It is an epiphytic hemiparasitic plant in the family Loranthaceae. This species attaches to several species of Australian eucalypt, and occasionally grows on some species of Acacia. It is the most widespread of all Australian mistletoes, and occurs mainly west of the Great Dividing Range. It has shiny leaves and red flowers that grow in groups of three. It can be told apart from the similar species Amyema pendula by the individual stalks of its flowers. Its seeds are dispersed by various birds, most notably the mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum). Mistletoebirds eat the fruit of Amyema miquelii; because the seeds are extremely sticky, the bird must wipe the sticky seed remains from its beak, or wipe sticky seeds from its feathers after defecation, most often onto a tree twig. The seed begins germinating immediately, soon penetrates the host tree’s vascular system, and forms a physiological connection with the xylem of its new host. From this connection, the seedling gains water and mineral nutrients from the host tree.
