Mistletoes include two main groups of Viscum and Loranthus species. Both are stem hemiparasites
attacking different species of fruit and forestry trees and certain woody ornamentals. These
parasites are green plants that have chlorophyll and can do photosynthesis. Viscum belongs to the
family Viscaceae in the sandalwood order (Santalales) distributed in the tropics, North Temperate
Zone and in tropical, sub-tropical and Mediterranean climatic regions in Jordan. Mistletoe has
confusion in the taxonomy of Loranthus (Family Loranthaceae) and Viscum (Family Viscaceae)
(Steuber, undated). Sometimes Viscum spp. is referred to as the dwarf mistletoes to distinguish
them from the genus Loranthus. However, both genera are perennial leafy mistletoes of 6-7 years
life span, morphologically and taxonomically related in which sometimes included under
Viscaceae and similar in parasitic habit and in the form of host plants they attack. They mostly
occur in the tropics, and their families are most primitive contain tree or bush-like plants. The
mistletoe (Viscum and allied genera), family Viscaceae, are referring to those shrubby, parasitic
cousins of sandalwood (Santalum album).
