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First Report of Arceuthobium hondurense in Department El Paraiso, Honduras

The Honduran dwarf mistletoe, Arceuthobium hondurense Hawksw. & Wiens (Viscaceae), has only been reported from three general areas in Honduras (2). During September 2005, we found a fourth location for this rare dwarf mistletoe south of San Lucas in Department El Paraiso (13°52′58″N, 86°58′04″W; elevation 1,350 m). The mistletoe was parasitizing Pinus oocarpa Schiede, and many trees were severely infected in this area. Several dead trees were also observed with evidence of past dwarf mistletoe infection (witches' brooms). Although this report only extends the distribution approximately 40 km to the southeast of populations of this mistletoe in Department Francisco Morazan, to our knowledge, this is the first report of A. hondurense in Department El Paraiso. At one time, A. hondurense was thought to be in danger of extinction (1), but it is now known from four separate locations in Honduras and has been discovered in a few locations in southern Mexico (2). Nevertheless, this dwarf mistletoe remains one of the rarest mistletoes known. Specimens of A. hondurense from El Paraiso have been deposited at the Deaver Herbarium, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff (Accession No. 80338).

References: (1) F. Hawksworth and D. Wiens. Dwarf mistletoes: Biology, pathology, and systematics. USDA For. Serv. Agric. Handb. 709, 1996. (2) R. Mathiasen et al. Madrono 50:115, 2003.