Parasitic plant at XY Crag?

[catbirdseat]

There is a dwarf pine at the top of XY Crag in Icicle Canyon. This plant is infected with some sort of parasitic plant that I've never seen before. The plant doesn't have leaves per se. I believe the pine was a Ponderosa pine.

 

Before now, I'd never actually seen a conifer infected. Any idea what species it might be?

[Alpinfox]

 

Did it look like this?

 

[Cobra_Commander]

or this?

 

[catbirdseat]

Did it look like this?

 

Something like that, but the leaves more closely resembled nodules or scales. They weren't as fat as those.

[Dru]

or this?

 

 

was it named Audrey?

[catbirdseat]

Feed me, Seymour, feed me!

[ScottP]

Maybe this...?

[catbirdseat]

That's it! What is it?

[iain]

Arceuthobium spp. dwarf mistletoe

[catbirdseat]

Yep, that's the one.

[ScottP]

Probably all you'll ever want to know about it...