LONDON, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A species of tropical mistletoe new to science has been discovered on a mountaintop in Mozambique, British researchers say.
Just in time for Christmas, scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London have confirmed that Helixanthera schizocalyx, found in 2008 in northern Mozambique, is in fact a new species, the BBC reported Thursday.
Butterfly specialist Colin Congdon found the mistletoe in dense foliage near the summit of Mozambique's Mount Mabu and realized it was different from anything he had seen on the mountains in neighboring Malawi and Tanzania.
Examination by experts at Kew Gardens confirmed it as a new species.
Mistletoes are "hemi-parasitic," obtaining some of the nutrients they need from other plants.
When birds eat the small sweet fruits of the mistletoe, the seeds are deposited onto branches of trees where, once germinated, the root grows into the living tissue of the tree to "suck out" its nutrients.
