 The haustorium is a root-like structure that penetrates the host plant's bark and cambium, reaching the xylem and phloem where it extracts water and minerals, primarily carbon and nitrogen compounds.A study on the nutrient ratio between "Phoradendron" and their hosts found that the parasite have higher concentrations of nitrogen and minerals, especially in leguminous hosts.This suggests that the parasite actively draws nutrients from the host plant through both the xylem and phloem, challenging the alternative theory of the passive uptake of nutrients by the parasite from the host xylem only.