Dwarf-misletoe on Ponderosa pine.

Photo suitable for educational purposes.

Dwarf-mistletoes parasitize many conifers; this one is Arceuthobium vaginatum. Most resemble this one: short yellowish-green shoots emerging from the conifer bark on branches. The "roots" of these plants take water and nutrients from the tree, but they are not totally parasitic - they do photosynthesize some themselves. They often cause the branches of the host tree to twist into "witches' brooms," and can eventually kill the tree.

Jemez Mountains, NM