About Viscum capense L.fil.
Viscum capense, commonly known as Cape mistletoe, is a mistletoe species native to South Africa. Its native range extends along the coast from Cape Town northward into Namibia, and eastward into South Africa's Eastern Cape province. This is a parasitic plant species with jointed stems. Its leaves are reduced to vestigial small scales that surround the stem nodes. It produces very small yellowish-green flowers, which develop into translucent pale berries. Birds disperse the fruit of Viscum capense. The plant is poisonous, but it is still used in traditional African medicine: the plant is boiled to prepare a tea that is used to soothe asthma. Viscum capense is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers grow on separate individual plants.
