Bidirectional anatomical effects in a mistletoe-host relationship: Psittacanthus schiedeanus mistletoe and its hosts Liquidambar styraciflua and Quercus germana.

Premise Of The Study: During the interactions between a parasitic plant and its host, the parasite affects its host morphologically, anatomically, and physiologically, yet there has been little focus on the effect of hosts on the parasite. Here, the functional interactions between the hemiparasitic mistletoe Psittacanthus schiedeanus and its hosts Liquidambar styraciflua and Quercus germana were interpreted based on the anatomical features of the vascular tissues.

Methods: Using standard techniques for light and transmission electron microscopy, we studied the effects of P.