The ecophysiology of a neotropical mistletoe depends on the leaf phenology of its tree hosts.

PREMISE: Mistletoes parasitize many hardwood and softwood tree species; however, they play key roles in forest ecosystems. Adult individuals of Psittacanthus schiedeanus take up water and xylem nutrients from both deciduous and evergreen host trees, suggesting the ability to modify its physiology according to the availability of host resources. Yet, there is little information regarding the effects of mistletoes on their host trees from the eophyll stage to reproductive phases of the parasite. METHODS: Taking advantage of the fact that P. schiedeanus can reach sexual maturity in 1 year, we investigated its physiological performance during development on deciduous (Liquidambar styraciflua) and evergreen (Quercus germana) host trees in a cloud forest in eastern Mexico. Variables related to chlorophyll fluorescence, carbon assimilation, photosynthetic pigments, and nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon contents of the parasite and non-infected and infected hosts were analyzed in a nursery experiment. RESULTS: Mistletoe had lower water-use efficiency and higher transpiration rates than the host species did. Despite the fact that P. schiedeanus obtained resources from species with differing phenology and resource availability, the parasite steadily improved its CO2 assimilation, electron transport rate, and nutrient content from seedling establishment to adult life stages. Mistletoe decreased the photosynthetic reactions of carbon metabolism in the deciduous host, photosynthetic light reactions in the evergreen host, and nutritional status of both host species, mostly in the evergreen host. CONCLUSIONS: The hypothesis that mistletoes adjust their physiology according to the availability of host resources could extend to the early growth of the parasite.

Bidirectional anatomical effects in a mistletoe-host relationship: Psittacanthus schiedeanus mistletoe and its hosts Liquidambar styraciflua and Quercus germana.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: During the interactions between a parasitic plant and its host, the parasite affects its host morphologically, anatomically, and physiologically, yet there has been little focus on the effect of hosts on the parasite. Here, the functional interactions between the hemiparasitic mistletoe Psittacanthus schiedeanus and its hosts Liquidambar styraciflua and Quercus germana were interpreted based on the anatomical features of the vascular tissues. METHODS: Using standard techniques for light and transmission electron microscopy, we studied the effects of P. schiedeanus on the phloem anatomy of Liquidambar styraciflua and Quercus germana and vice versa. KEY RESULTS: The phloem of P. schiedeanus has larger sieve elements, companion cells, and sieve plate areas when it is parasitizing L. styraciflua than Q. germana; however, the parasite produces systemic effects on the phloem of its hosts, reducing the size of phloem in L. styraciflua but increasing it in Q. germana. Those seem to be the bidirectional effects. No direct connections between the secondary phloem of the parasite and that of its hosts were observed. Parenchymatic cells of L. styraciflua in contact with connective parenchyma cells of the parasite develop half-plasmodesmata, while those of Q. germana do not. CONCLUSIONS: The bidirectional effects between the parasite and its hosts comprise modifications in secondary phloem that are potentially affected by the phenology of its hosts, a combination of hormonal agents such as auxins, and the symplasmic or apoplasmic pathway for solutes import.