Solutes and succulence in southern African mistletoes

Abstract

The inorganic ion and organic solute composition of Tapinanthus oleifolius (Loranthaceae) and Viscum rotundifolium (Viscaceae) growing on various host trees in Namibia were investigated. Organic osmolytes accounted for 22.8–45.1% of the total solutes determined in leaves of the mistletoes parasitizing Acacia nebrownii, Catophractes alexandri, Grewia flava and Ziziphus mucronata. On other hosts (Acacia karroo, Euphorbia virosa, Salvadora persica and Tamarix usneoides) T. oleifolius showed distinct succulence with increasing leaf age, with leaves more than 3 mm thick on E. virosa. In the more succulent leaves (> 1.1 kg H2O m−2 leaf area) organic solutes were only of minor importance. Water content per leaf area was significantly correlated with chloride content per leaf area, suggesting that succulence served as a means to keep ion concentration at a physiological tolerable level. At whole plant levels 93.7% of the total sodium of the mistletoe bush was located in leaves thicker than 1 mm for T. oleifolius parasitizing Tamarix usneoides. This pronounced sequestration of sodium in older leaves as well as the high variability of the K/Na ratio in various parts of the parasite-host system point to highly selective ion distribution processes in this association.