Arceuthobium vaginatum, called the sheathed dwarf mistletoe or southwestern dwarf mistletoe, is a parasitic plant found in the southwestern United States and northwestern and central Mexico. It generally is found on pine trees.Hawksworth, F.G., & D. Wiens. 1993. Viscaceae, Mistletoe Family. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 27:241-245Presl, J.S. O Prirozenosti rostlin, aneb rostlinar 2: 28. 1825.
Taxonomy In 1806 the first classification of Arceuthobium vaginatum was published by Carl Ludwig Willdenow as a species in the Viscum genus named Viscum vaginatum. Willdenow attributed the name to Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland. The botanist Jan Svatopluk Presl moved the species to Arceuthobium in 1825 and Otto Kuntze proposed moving it to Razoumofskya in 1891. Together with its genus it is classified in the Santalaceae family and it has three accepted subspecies.
Arceuthobium vaginatum subsp. cryptopodum – Native to the US from Texas to Utah Arceuthobium vaginatum subsp. durangense – Native to northern and southwestern Mexico Arceuthobium vaginatum subsp. vaginatum – Native to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala
Arceuthobium vaginatum has ten synonyms of the species or one of its subspecies.
Table of Synonyms Name Year Rank Synonym of: Notes Arceuthobium campylopodum var. cryptopodum 1923 variety subsp. cryptopodum ≡ hom. Arceuthobium cryptopodum 1850 species subsp. cryptopodum ≡ hom. Arceuthobium durangense 1989 species subsp. durangense ≡ hom. Arceuthobium vaginatum var. cryptopodum 1997 variety subsp. cryptopodum ≡ hom. Arceuthobium vaginatum f. cryptopodum 1935 form subsp. cryptopodum ≡ hom. Arceuthobium vaginatum var. durangense 2003 variety subsp. durangense ≡ hom. Razoumofskya cryptopoda 1893 species subsp. cryptopodum ≡ hom. Razoumofskya mexicana 1825 species subsp. vaginatum = het. Razoumofskya vaginata 1891 species A. vaginatum ≡ hom. Viscum vaginatum 1806 species A. vaginatum ≡ hom. Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym
Ecology Dense growths of A. vaginatum twigs are favored by Abert's squirrel as a location for nests, due to providing concealment and support.
Ethnobotany The Ramah Navaho have been documented as using a decoction of Arceuthobium vaginatum as a "ceremonial medicine".
References Citations
Sources Web sources