Muellerina celastroides is an erect or spreading plant which is smooth except for the inflorescence axis which is covered with minute, brown, densely matted woolly hairs.[6][7] The leaves are oblong to elliptic and 2.5–7 cm long and 15–25 mm wide, with a rounded apex and an attenuate base.[6][7]
The inflorescence is a raceme of 1–3 pairs of triads, with the stems of lateral flowers being 3–6 mm long.[6][7] The calyx is entire and about 1 mm long.[6][7] The corolla in mature bud is 22–35 mm long.[6][7] The anthers are about 1.5 mm long, with the free part of filament being 8–13 mm long.[7] The fruit is pear-shaped, 7–11 mm long, and green grading to light red.[6][7]
Ecology
The most frequently recorded hosts on which M. celastroides grows are Allocasuarina, Banksia, and Eucalyptus species, but it frequently is found on exotics and on other mistletoes.[3] An inventory of host plants for Muellerina celastroides is given by Downey.[8][9]
The species was first described by Franz Sieber in 1829 as Loranthus celastroides.[1][11] It was redescribed by van Tieghem in 1895 as Muellerina celastroides.[1][2]
^ abcWatson, D.M. (2011) Mistletoes of Southern Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria
^ abQuirico, A.L. "Muellerina celastroides". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
^Barlow, B.A. in George, A.S. (ed.) (1984), Loranthaceae. Flora of Australia 22: 90, Fig. 23B, Map 102
^Downey, P.O. (1998) An inventory of host species for each aerial mistletoe species (Loranthaceae and Viscaceae) in Australia. (Cunninghamia 5(3) 685-720)
^Downey, P.O. (2004) A regional examination of the mistletoe host species inventory. (Cunninghamia 8(3) 354-361)
^Moss, J.T. & Kendall, R. (2016) The Mistletoes of subtropical Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club Inc. Runcorn Queensland.
^Schultes, J.A. & Schultes, J.H. (1829,1830), Systema Vegetabilium Edn. 16, 7(2): 163, 1614, 1784
