Plant: aerial parasitic shrub; woody, glabrous or hairy, SHOOTS 3-8 dm high, often pendulous with age, yellow green, the internodes 7-12 mm long
Leaves: oblanceolate-linear, 1-1.5 cm long, 2-3 mm wide; densely pubescent
INFLORESCENCE: staminate spikes with 2-3 fertile segments, 6-10(-15) flowers per segment; pistillate spikes with usually 1 fertile segment, with 2-3 flowers per segment
Flowers: pubescent, sunken along the axis; perianth segments usually 3, persistent in fruit; staminate flower with a sessile minute (less than 2 mm), 2-chambered anther; pistillate flower with a single style and rounded stigma
Fruit: pink-white, ca. 3 mm in diameter
Misc: Pinyon-juniper woodlands; 800-1700 m (2800-5500 ft); Dec-Feb
Notes: HOST: Juniperus
REFERENCES: Hawksworth, Frank G. 1994. Viscaceae. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. Volume 27(2), 241-245.
Duration: Perennial
Nativity: Native
Lifeform: Subshrub
General: Perennial, aerial parasitic subshrub with shoots 30-80 cm long, often pendulous in age, yellow green with internodes 7-12 mm long.
Leaves: Oblanceolate to linear 1-1.5 cm long, 2-3 mm wide, densely pubescent.
Flowers: Staminate spikes with 2-3 fertile segments, 6-10 flowers per segment, pistillate spikes with usually 1 fertile segment, with 2-3 flowers per segment; pubescent flowers, pink-white, about 3 mm in diameter; perianth segments usually three, persistent in fruit; pistillate flower with a single style and rounded stigma.
Fruits: Mucilaginous berry, 3-6 mm in diameter, sessile, explosively dehiscent.
Ecology: Found on species of Juniperus from 2,500-5,500 ft (762-1676 m); flowers December-February.
Notes: One of three species that are parasitic on Cupressaceae, distinguished from P. densum by its pubescent leaves and its being on Juniperus.
Ethnobotany: Unknown, but other species in the genera have uses.
Etymology: Phoradendron is from Greek phor, a thief and dendron, tree-hence tree thief because of its parasitism, while capitellatum means having a small head.
Synonyms: Phoradendron bolleanum var. capitellatum
Editor: SBuckley, 2010
