The American mistletoe, the one used at Christmas in the U.S., is in the genus Phoradendron, which means “ thief of the tree” in Greek. Mistletoe is the Oklahoma Floral Emblem with the Indian Blanket being the state wildflower, and the state flower is the Oklahoma tea rose. Sixteen species of the leafless dwarf mistletoe infect only trees in the pine family and are mostly found along the West Coast. Twelve species of the American mistletoe can be found distributed largely across the southern half of the U.S., mostly affecting deciduous trees in the East as well as some evergreens in the West. Just two types are native to North America. Rather than being rooted in the ground, they live on the branches of other trees and shrubs. They’re all parasitic or semiparasitic, meaning they can survive only on a host plant. There are some 1,300 species of this evergreen plant worldwide.
But, botanically speaking, that’s what mistletoe is.
“And of course, in Hollywood, you haven’t really made it until you’ve been recognized by those in the field of parasitology.( The Conversation) – A parasitic plant with potentially poisonous berries might not sound like something that would boost your Christmas decorations to the next level. “Honestly, I was honored by their homage to me and Arachnophobia. “His character in the film is a spider killer, which is exactly what these nematodes are,” said Adler Dillman, the UC Riverside parasitologist who led the team that discovered the nematode.Īnd that’s how the worms came to be known as “jeffdanielsi” - a distinction Daniels seems to take pride in. The worm’s killer instincts are somewhat similar to Daniel’s character in the 1990 movie “Arachnophobia,” in which he plays an arachnophobe who must save a California town from an infestation of poisonous spiders. Scientists said the worm latches on to a tarantula’s mouth, causing them to stop eating and eventually starving them to death. The white mass that appeared on the breeder’s tarantulas wasn’t foam it was a common type of worm known as a nematode. A tarantula visibly infected with jeffdanielsi.
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