When one organism steals all of its food from another organism's body it is called a parasite. The organism who is being robbed of its food supply is called the host. The parasitic mode of existence can be found throughout the kingdoms of life, from bacteria and fungi to insects, arachnids and worms. Parasitism has also evolved in many families of flowering plants. Some heterotrophic flowering plants get their nutrition from mycorrhizal soil fungi that are in turn attached to the roots of forest trees. These interesting plants are called mycotrophic wildflowers or mycoheterotrophs and are discussed in another article called fungus flowers. True plant parasites can be hemiparasitic with photosynthetic leaves (such as mistletoe), or holoparasitic and completely dependent on their host (such as dodder). Some stem parasites, such as a local southern California desert native, are endoparasitic and live completely within the stems of their host. The only part of Pilostyles that emerges from the host is a tiny bud that opens into a minute red flower. This is similar to a pimple appearing on your face that bursts into a tiny blossom. Of all the more than 230,000 species of flowering plants, the root and stem parasites certainly include some of the most bizarre and beautiful species; including the world's largest flower that is three feet (one meter) in diameter.
Three common parasitic genera of stem parasites in California include the mistletoes Phoradendron and Arceuthobium of the Mistletoe Family, and dodder of the Morning-Glory Family. The European mistletoe has also been found in northern California on maples, alders, elms, willow, and other deciduous trees. Probably the most widespread mistletoe in California is Phoradendron, a name derived from two Greek words meaning "tree thief." Some species, such as oak mistletoe, have oval, green leaves (the decorative kind used at...

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