Is Mistletoe a Fungus?
During the Christmas season, people decorate with holly and ivy and hang mistletoe for kissing. Mistletoe shares some traits with the fungi family, but it is a different species altogether. Does this Spark an idea?
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Fungus
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A fungus is not a plant. Botanically speaking, fungi are in a family of their own. They can reproduce sexually and asexually using spores and cannot produce their own food, instead taking it from their surroundings.
Mistletoe
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A mistletoe is an evergreen plant that grows on other trees. Birds carry the seeds of the mistletoe to trees where the mistletoe takes root in the tree. It is considered a "parasitic plant" because it pulls nutrients from the host plant. It is capable of some photosynthesis, just not enough to survive.
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Similarities and Differences
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Mistletoe plants are not fungi. Fungi need something else to provide all their nutrients. While mistletoe plants do require another plant to provide some nutrients, mistletoe can take in sunlight and carbon dioxide. On the other hand, fungi are incapable of photosynthesis.
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References
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