GENERA OF MISTLETOES

Compiled by Frank G. Hawksworth

(Reformated by Brian W. Geils 1/12/2000)

A frequently asked question is, how many mistletoe genera are there? The answer, of course, depends on the eye of the taxonomist, but it seems that some generalizations can be made. There is somewhat of a consensus on the families Viscaceae (with 7 genera), Eremolepidaceae (3 valid genera), and Misodendraceae (with 1 genus, Misodendron). For the Loranthaceae, however, it is a much different story. Engler (1894) listed ten genera, but the number of genera now accepted varies from 50 to 70, depending on the treatment. Hundreds of species which were originally described in the genus "Loranthus L." (except for L. europaeus Jacq.) have now been assigned to other genera. Philippe van Tieghem, the master generic architect of the Loranthaceae and the Viscaceae, created more than 110 genera between 1894 and 1902. About 25 of his genera are now generally accepted, including the well-known Korthalsella and Amyema. The lists below show that for the Loranthaceae about 15 genera are currently recognized in the New World and 50 in the Old World.

Here I have listed more than 200 described mistletoe genera and note those that seem to be generally accepted in modern taxonomic accounts (see literature cited) and those (in parenthesis) that are generally regarded as synonyms.

I appreciate the suggestions, but not necessarily the concurrence, of senior loranthologists B. Barlow, J. Kuijt, R. Polhill, and D. Wiens, in this compilation.

VISCACEAE Batsch

(Allobium Miers = Phoradendron)

ARCEUTHOBIUM M. Bieb.

(Aspidixia Korthals = Viscum)

(Baratostachys Uphof = Phoradendron)

DENDROPHTHORA Eichler

(Distichella van Tieghem = Dendrophthora)

GINALLOA Korthals

KORTHALSELLA van Tieghem

NOTOTHIXOS Oliver

(Ozarthris Rafinesque = Dendrophthora)

PHORADENDRON Nuttall

(Phoradendrum Urban = Phoradendron)

(Razoumofskya Hoffmann = Arceuthobium)

(Spiciviscum Engelmann = Phoradendron)

VISCUM Linn.

EREMOLEPIDACEAE van Tieghem ex Kuijt

ANTIDAPHNE Poeppig & Endlicher

(Basicapus van Tieghem = Antidaphne)

(Eremolepis Grisebach = Antidaphne)

EUBRACHION Hooker f.

(Ixidium Eichler = Antidaphne)

LEPIDOCERAS Hooker f.

(Myrtobium Miquel = Lepidoceras)

(Stachyphyllum van Tieghem = Antidaphne)

LORANTHACEAE D. Don

NEW WORLD

AETANTHUS Engler

(Allohemia Rafinesque = Oryctanthus)

CLADOCOLEA van Tieghem

DENDROPEMON (Blume) Reichenb.

DESMARIA van Tieghem

(Desrousseauxia van Tieghem = Aetanthus)

GAIADENDRON G. Don

(Glutago Poiret = Oryctanthus)

IXOCACTUS Rizzini

LIGARIA van Tieghem

(Loxania van Tieghem = Cladocolea)

(Macrocalyx van Tieghem = Aetanthus)

MARACANTHUS Kuijt

(Metastachys van Tieghem = Tristerix)

NOTANTHERA (DC.) Don

ORYCTANTHUS Eichler

ORYCTINA van Tieghem

(Passowia Karsten = Phthirusa)

PHTHIRUSA Martius

(Phrygilanthus Eichler = Tristerix, Notanthera, Tripodanthus)

(Psathyranthus Ule = Psittacanthus)

PSITTACANTHUS Martius

(Phyllostephanus van Tieghem = Aetanthus)

(Taguaria Rafinesque = Gaiadendron)

STRUTHANTHUS Martius

TRIPODANTHUS van Tieghem

TRISTERIX Martius

OLD WORLD

(Aciella van Tieghem = Amylotheca)

(Acrostachys van Tieghem = Helixanthera)

(Acrostephanus van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

ACTINANTHELLA Balle

(Acranthemum van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

(Agelanthus van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

ALEPIS van Tieghem

AMYEMA van Tieghem

AMYLOTHECA van Tieghem

(Antriba Rafinesque = Scurrula)

(Arculus van Tieghem = Amylotheca)

ATKINSONIA F. Muell.

(Bakerella van Tieghem = Taxillus)

BARATHRANTHUS Miquel

(Beccarina van Tieghem = Trithecanthera)

(Benthamina van Tieghem = Amyema)

(Blumella van Tieghem = Elytranthe, Macrosolen)

CECARRIA Barlow

(Candollina van Tieghem = Amyema)

(Chiridium van Tieghem = Helixanthera)

(Chorilepidella van Tieghem = Lepidaria)

(Chorilepis van Tieghem = Lepidaria)

(Choristega van Tieghem = Lepeostegeres)

(Choristegeres van Tieghem = Lepeostegeres)

(Cichlanthus van Tieghem = Scurrula)

(Cleistoloranthus Merrill = Amyema)

(Coleobotrys van Tieghem = Helixanthera)

(Cyathiscus van Tieghem = Barathanthus)

CYNE Danser

DACTYLIOPHORA van Tieghem

DECAISNINA van Tieghem

DENDROPHTHOE Martius

(Dentimetula van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

DICYMANTHES Danser

DIPLATIA van Tieghem

DISTRANTHES Danser

(Dithecina van Tieghem = Helixanthera)

ELYTRANTHE Blume

EMELIANTHE Danser

(Englerina van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

ERIANTHEMUM van Tieghem

(Etubila Rafinesque = Dendrophthoe, Scurrula)

GLOBIMETULA van Tieghem

(Helicanthera Spreng. = Helixanthera)

HELICANTHES Danser

(Helica Pers. = Helixanthera)

HELIXANTHERA Lour.

HYPHEAR Danser

ILEOSTYLUS van Tieghem

(Ischnanthus van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

(Iticania Rafinesque = Elytranthe)

(Kingella van Tieghem = Trithecanthera)

(Lichtensteinia Wendl. = Tapinanthus)

LAMPAS Danser

(Lanthorus Presl = Helixanthera)

LEPEOSTEGERES Blume

LEPIDARIA van Tieghem

(Lepidella van Tieghem = Lepidaria)

(Leucobotrys van Tieghem = Helixanthera)

(Lichtensteinia Wendl. = Tapinanthus)

(Locella van Tieghem = Taxillus)

(Lonicera Gaertn. = Dendrophthoe)

LORANTHUS Linn.

LOXANTHERA Blume

LYSIANA van Tieghem

MACROSOLEN Blume

(Meiena Rafinesque = Dendrophthoe)

(Metula van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

MOQUINIELLA Balle

(Moquinia Spreng. f. = Moquiniella)

MUELLERINA van Tieghem

(Neamyza van Tieghem = Peraxilla)

(Neophylum van Tieghem = Amyema)

NUYTSIA R. Br.

(Odontella van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

(Oedina van Tieghem = Dendrophthoe)

(Oliverella van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

ONCELLA van Tieghem

(Oncocalyx van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

PAPUANTHES Danser

PEDISTYLIS Wiens

PERAXILLA van Tieghem

(Perella van Tieghem = Peraxilla)

(Phoenicanthemum Blume = Helixanthera)

(Phragmanthera van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

(Phrygilanthus Eichler = Cecarria, Muellerinia)

(Phyllodesmis van Tieghem = Taxillus)

(Pilostogma van Tieghem = Amyema)

PLICOSEPALUS van Tieghem

(Rhizanthemum van Tieghem = Amyema)

RHIZOMONANTHES Danser

(Schimperina van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

SCURRULA Linn.

(Septimetula van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

SEPTULINA van Tieghem

SOGERIANTHE Danser

(Stegastrum van Tieghem = Lepeostegeres)

(Stemmatophyllum van Tieghem = Amyema)

(Stephaniscus van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

(Strepsimela Rafinesque = Helixanthera)

(Sycophila Welw. ex van Tieghem = Helixanthera)

TAPINANTHUS Blume

TAPINOSTEMMA van Tieghem

TAXILLUS van Tieghem

TETRADYAS Danser

(Thelecarpus van Tieghem = Tapinanthus)

TIEGHEMIA Balle

TOLYPANTHUS (Blume) Reichenb.

(Treubania van Tieghem = Amylotheca)

(Treubella van Tieghem = Amylotheca)

TRILEPIDEA van Tieghem

TRITHECANTHERA van Tieghem

TUPEIA Cham. & Sclecht.

VANWYKIA Wiens

(Xylochlamys Domin. = Amyema)

MISODENDRACEAE Agardh (?) =MYZODENDRACEAE)

MISODENDRON Banks & Solander

(Mizodendron = Misodendron)

(Presumably most of these are synonyms in Old World Loranthaceae, but I haven't found their modern equivalents)

Alveolina van Tieghem

Apodina van Tieghem

Arculus van Tieghem

Arthraxon van Tieghem

Aspidixia van Tieghem

Basicarpus van Tieghem

Bifaria van Tieghem

Chatinia van Tieghem

Dipodophyllum van Tieghem

Disrtichella van Tieghem

Eichlerinia van Tieghem

Furcilla van Tieghem

Furarium Rizzini

Glossidea van Tieghem

Hemiarthron van Tieghem

Heterixia van Tieghem

Hookerella van Tieghem

Isocaulon van Tieghem

Loxania van Tieghem

Macrocalyx van Tieghem

Martiella van Tieghem

Meranthera van Tieghem

Merismia van Tieghem

Nalloga van Tieghem

Miquelina van Tieghem

Ptychostylus van Tieghem

Peristethium van Tieghem

Ptychostylus van Tieghem

Siphanthemum van Tieghem

Solenocalyx van Tieghem

Stachyphyllum van Tieghem

Triarthron van Tieghem

Velvetia van Tieghem

Barlow, B. A. 1966. A revision of the Loranthaceae of Australia.

Barlow, B. A., and D. Wiens. 1973.

Danser, B. H. 1933. (Nomenclator).

Engler, A. 1894. Die Naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien 3.

Kuijt, J. 1961. A revision of Dendrophthora (Loranthaceae).

Kuijt, J. 1975. The genus Cladocolea (Loranthaceae).

Kuijt, J. 1886. Flora of Ecuador.

Kuijt, J. 1988. Monograph of the Eremolepidaceae.

Trelease, W. 1916. The genus Phoradendron.

Wiens, D. 1973. (Ceylon).

Wiens, D. 1978. (South Africa).

Wiens, D. and H. R. Tolken. 1979 (South Africa).