Great Basin Naturalist

Volume 56 Number 2 Article 14

4-29-1996

Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima), an uncommon host for desert mistletoe ( californicum)

Sandra L. Haigh Department of Biological Science, Las Vegas, Nevada

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Recommended Citation Haigh, Sandra L. (1996) "Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima), an uncommon host for desert mistletoe (Phoradendron californicum)," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 56 : No. 2 , Article 14. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol56/iss2/14

This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Great Basin Naturali~t 56(2). <0 1996, pp. 186-187

SALTCEDAR (TAMARlX RA.IWOSISSIMA), AN UNCOMMON HOST FOR DESERT MISTLETOE (PHORADENDRON CALlFORNICUM)

Sandra L. Haigh I

Key words: PhoradendJ'on cnlilornicum, Tamarix ramosissima. mistletoe, saUcedar, host, parasite.

The genus Tamarix (saltcedar) contains 16 October 1995. Voucher specimens li'mn 1 approximately 54 species of phreatophytic parasite and host are deposited in the Depart­ plants whose origins are in Europe. Asia, and ment of Biological Sciences herbarium, Uni­ Africa. Several members of the genus were versity of Nevada, Las Vegas, accession num­ introduced into the United States in the early ber 38971. 18oos, mainly as ornamental plants. Approxi­ The host tree was growing in a canyon mately 8 species have since escaped cuhiva­ approximately 2 m from a small, flowing stream tiun and have become naturalized to varying on quartz monzonite-derived soil. The first degrees (Baum 1967). TI17/Ulrix ramosi"ima. mistletoe clump measured 33 em long X 32 ern Ledeh. has become established in riparian areas high X 14 em wide and was growing on the throughout the West and Southwest, where it southwest side of a branch 2.1 m above the has proven to be an aggressive invader that ground. The branch to which the mistletoe eventually displaces native vegetation. was attached measured 5.2 cm in diameter Desert mistletoe (Phoradendmn calij",nicum and 16.2 em in circumference. The length of Nutt,) is a native para':iitic plant that grows on the branch from trunk to point of mistletoe several species ofriparian plant hosts. Its range attachment was 2.1 m. The trunk base of the includes southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, 5-m-high saltcedar measured 8 em in diameter southeastern , southwestern , and 29 cm in circumference, which would and northern Baja California. Sonora, and indicate an age of approximately 24 yr (based Sinaloa (Benson and Darrow 1981). Previously on average value of California and Arizona published information on hosts for desert sites as reported by Smith 1989). The 2nd mistletoe include Blumer (1910), Shreve and mistletoe also faced southwest aDd was located Wiggins (1964), Walters (1976), Daniel and on the main trunk of the tree .9 m above the BuUerwick (1992), and Overton (1992), none ground. It was a newly sprouted plant that con­ of whom mentions T ramosissima. Holland et sisted of only 12 stems, the 10Dgest of which a1. (1977) and Benson and Darrow (1981) state measured 4 em. Both mistletnes and the host that "saltcedar" and "the introduced tamarisks" tree appeared to be healtllY, actively grOWing are possible hosts, while Munz and Keck (1965) specimens. The parasites were young plants and McDougall (1973) list Tamar-ix but men­ and were a more vivid green than other mis­ tion no particular species. Cohan et a1. (1978) tletoes iD the area. Sex of the mistletoes could state that P. califorllicum does not occur in not be determined. saltccdar. This paper describes 2 occurrences Other hosts for P califomicnm at this site of P. califomicum on T. ramosissima in south­ include catclaw acacia (Acacia greggii), honey ern Nevada, mesquite (Prosopis glandula'a), and creosote I found the 1st parasite and host specimen bush (Lan-ea tridentata). Although many other on 27 June 1995 at Hiko Springs in Clark Tamarix trees occur here, none have been in· County, Nevada, approximately 11 km west of fected by mistletoe. Desert mistletoe is usually Laughlin along State Highway 163 (3,894,000 spread from host to host by , which ingest N 711,650 E) at an elevation of605 m (Fig. 1). the seeds and later defecate them onto a br.mch. A 2nd specimen was found on this host tree on Two species that occur frequently at this

186 1996] NOTES 187

"";i,"'" iii ,''''1- L[TERATURE CITED "",,:.:'.- ')).), , ,.""" ·.··-jl-{, ~ BAUM, B. R. 1967, Introduced and naturalized tamarisks , , j ,. ,

j .•- , j in the United States and Canada (Tamaricaceae). Bailcya 15: 19-25. BENSON, L., AND R. A. DAHROW. 1981. Trees and shrubs of the southwestern deserts. University ofArizona Press, Tucson, 416 pp, BWMEH, J. C. 1910. Mistletoe in the Suuthwest. Plant World 13: 240-246. COHAN, D. R., B. W. ANDERSON, AND R. D. OHMART. 1978. Avian population responses to salt cedar along the Lower Colorado River. Pages 371-382 in R. R. John­ son and J. F McCormick, editors, Strategies for pro­ tection and management of floodplain wetlands and other riparian ecosystems. USDA rarest Service, General Technical Report WO-12. DANIEL, T E, AND M. L. BUTIERWICK. 1992. Flora ofsouth mountains of south-central Arizona. Desert Plant~ [0(3),99--119. HOLLAND, J. S., R. K. GlIATER, AND D. H. HUNTZINGER. 1977. Flowering plants of the Lake Mead region. Southwest Parks and Monuments Association. Popu­ lar Series No. 23. 49 pp. McDOUGALL, W. B. 1973. Seed plants of northern Ari­ zona. The Museum of Northern Ari7.0na, Flagstaff. 594 pp. MUNZ, P A., AND D. D. KECK. 1965. A California flora. University ofCalifornia Press, Berkeley. 1681 pp. OVERTON, J. M. 1992. lIost specialization in desert mistle­ :FI.g. 1. Parasite Phoraderulron californicurn growing on toe Phoradendron californicum Bulletin of the Eco­ host plant Tamaf"ix m11Wsissima. logical Society ofAmerica 73: 293. SHREVE, F, AND 1. L. WIGGINS. 1964. Vegetation and flora of the Sononm Desert. Volume 1. Stanfurd Univer­ sity Press, Palo Alto, CA. 840 pp. site and have been seen feeding on mistletoe SMITH, S. D. 1989. The ecology of saltcedar (Tamarix chi­ and perching in saltcedar are the Phainopepla nensis) in Death Valley National Monument and (Phainopepla nitens) and Northern Mocking­ Lake Mead National Recreation Area: an assessment of techniques and monitoring for saltcedar control in bird (Mirnus polyglottos) (personal observation). the park system. Contribution CPSUIUNLV 041/03, National Pm"k ServicelUniversity of Nevada, Las ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Vegas. 65 pp. WALTERS, J. W. 1976. A guide to mistletoes ofArizona and I wish to thank Wesley Niles for help with New . USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Rogion, Forest Insect and Disease Management. 7 identification of specimens and review of the pp. manuscript, and Delbert Wiens who provided information on mistletoe hosts. This project Heceiocd 6 November 1995 was funded by a research grant provided by Accepted 4 March 1996 the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies, Las Vegas, Nevada.