Plants of
South Australia
Amyema miquelii
Loranthaceae
Box Mistletoe,
Nyir#unypa
Display all 8 images
Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
Enlarge Map
Copy Map
Copy Map
Display IBRA region text

Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 29

Prior names

Loranthus aurantiacus

Amyema aurantiaca

Loranthus miquelii

Common names

Box Mistletoe

Nyir#unypa

Etymology

Amyema from the Greek 'a-' meaning not and 'myeo' meaning to initiate, referring to a new feature having been found to separate this genus from the genus Loranthus. Miquelii named after Dr. Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel (1811-1871), a Dutch botanist whose main focus was on the flora of the Dutch East Indies.

Distribution and status

Found throughout much of South Australia except on Kangaroo Island, growing in sclerophyll forest and woodland, parasitising on many species of Eucalyptus and Acacia species, rarely on other hosts. Also found in all mainland states. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Alinytjara Wilurara, Eyre Peninsula, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Arid Lands, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Semiparisitic aerial shrub with stems and leaves glabrous, except for young shoots. Leaves linear to elliptic to 40mm long and 3 mm wide. Inflorescence a hanging cluster of red flowers with the central stalk longer than the other two. Flowering between December and April. Fruits are yellow-red cylindrical to pear-shaped fruit to 12 mm long; fleshy. Seeds are large sticky globular seeds.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between February and June. Collect fruits that are maturing, turning yellow and sticky. Seeds can be collected about 12 weeks after flowering. No cleaning is required if only seeds are collected. However, seeds can not be stored long term. Seeds are recalcitrant, that is they do not survive drying and freezing and can not be stored long term for ex-situ conservation. Seeds are recalcitrant and will germinate readily.