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Honey Suckle Mistletoe
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Honey Suckle Mistletoe
ative Photo: Subhankar Halder
Common name: Honey Suckle Mistletoe, Neem mistletoe • Hindi: बंदा Banda, बंदा पाठा Banda Patha • Marathi: वंदा Vanda, बंदगुल Bandgul • Tamil: புல்லுரீ Pulluri, புல்லுருவீ Pulluruvi, உசீ Uchi • Malayalam: Ittikkanni • Telugu: జిద్దూ Jiddu, యెలింగా Yelinga • Kannada: ಮದುಕ Maduk, ಬದನಿಕೆ Badanike, ಬಂದನಿಕೆ, ಬಂದಣಿಕೆ Bandanike, ಬಂದರಿಕೆ Bandarike, ಮರಭಕ್ಷ Marabhaksha • Konkani: Bemdram • Gujarati: વંદો Vando • Sanskrit: Vrksadani • Mizo: Chawngduma-saingho-chi-khat
Botanical name: Dendrophthoe falcata    Family: Loranthaceae (Mistletoe family)
Synonyms: Loranthus loniceroides, Loranthus falcatus, Loranthus indicus Desr.

Honey Suckle Mistletoe is a large branch parasite. It is a shrub which is much branched, 1-3 m long. Branches are swollen from the base, and the bark is dark gray. Oppositely arranged leaves are 7-15 cm long, variable in shape. Leaf stalks are 1 cm long, and the midriff is red. Flowers occur in stout racemes in leaf axils. The flowers buds look like long white tubes. Flower tube is 3-5 cm long, pink to white. The five narrow petals or lobes of the flower tube, greenish or yellowish, are upturned. Stamens, 4-6 protrude out of the flower. The green style is slender and is longer than the stamens. The plant has a very close cousin with red flowers, Red Honey Suckle Mistletoe. Flowering: January-February.

Identification credit: Pravin Kawale Photographed in Tripura & Maharashtra.

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