Viscum minimum
In its native habitat "Viscum minimum" uses two species of succulents, "Euphorbia polygona" and "Euphorbia horrida", as host plants. However, given the opportunity, the plant uses a range of succulents, including cacti, as hosts. A mature "Viscum minimum" consists mostly of haustoria within the host plant, but a small stems of less than one millimeter in length with a single whorl of 2-3 scale-like leaves. A single flower, and later a red round fruit with a diameter of 8-9 millimeters, emerges from these stems. The leaves and stems are capable of photosynthesis, making the plant technically a hemiparasite. The "Viscum minimum" mitochondrial genome has been sequenced, showing an unusual loss of genes or their functions.
Description
Viscum minimum is a species of mistletoe in the family Santalaceae.