Mistletoe in the rest of the World

Mistletoe in the rest of the World... - Introduction

These Rest of World pages include more information on the main mistletoe families (Viscaceae and Loranthaceae), information on mistletoes in areas not covered on other pages, and more info on mistletoe animals, birds and insects. Basic mistletoe classification is covered in the What are Mistletoes pages.
The two main mistletoe families, though obviously closely related, are thought to have evolved separately within the plant order Santalales. They have very different appearance, especially when in flower, with the rather dowdy Viscaceae flowers eclipsed by the elongate colourful flowers of the Loranths. The pictures show Viscum album flowers - in context and close-up with fly (right) and, in contrast, the colourful flowers of the Loranth Agelanthus sansibarensis (below)

But the two families have similar worldwide distributions, both occurring throughout the tropics and subtropics, including sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America and Australasia. This map shows the range of all mistletoe families worldwide. .