As a hemiparasite the mistletoe taps its host tree for water and nutrients but contains some chlorophyll and can berries each 3 or 4 millimeters wide.
12.
This species is a facultative parasite, or hemiparasite, in that it can live without attaching to another plant but will parasitize if presented with the opportunity.
13.
In this respect, " O . compressa " resembles some other hemiparasites in related families such as " Nuytsia floribunda " in the Loranthaceae.
14.
The first, most ancestral, hasutoria are thought to be similar to that of the facultative hemiparasites within " Tryphysaria ", lateral haustoria develop along the surface of the roots in these species.
15.
The leaves are green, containing chlorophyll to undergo photosynthesis, but like other " Castilleja " it is a hemiparasite, capable of tapping the roots of other plants to obtain nutrients and water.
16.
A study comparing the effects of the hemiparasite on native " Leptospermum myrsinoides " and the invasive legume " Cytisus scoparius ", found that Cassytha had little to no effect on the Leptospermum and significantly decreased the biomass and physiological capabilities of the introduced legume.
17.
Many of the members of the order are parasitic plants, mostly hemiparasites, able to produce sugars through photosynthesis, but tapping the stems or roots of other plants to obtain water and minerals; some ( e . g . " Arceuthobium " ) are obligate parasites, have low concentrations of chlorophyll within their shoots ( 1 / 5 to 1 / 10 of that found in their host s foliage ), and derive the majority of their sustenance from their hosts'vascular tissues ( water, micro-and macronutrients, and sucrose ).
