Hairy mistletoe
Erianthemum dregei

Family: Loranthaceae

What it is like

A shrub that grows off other plants. The stems are 2 m long. It grows on a wide variety of hosts. The stems can be spreading or hanging. The small branches have white hairs. The leaves can be opposite or one after the other. They are oval. It forms flowers in the wet season. The flowers are in heads of 2-6 flowers. They are greenish-yellow. The fruit is a bright orange or red berry. They are 10-15 mm across. The seeds are red.

There are 16 Erianthemum species.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in higher rainfall woodland and forest. In Zimbabwe it grows up to 2,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Diphakam, Kalemelera, Kalisace, Pakama

Synonyms

Loranthus dregei Eckl. & Zeyh.;