See list of Arceuthobium species The genus Arceuthobium, commonly called dwarf mistletoes, is a genus of 26[1] species of parasitic plants that parasitize members of Pinaceae and Cupressaceae in North America, Central America, Asia, Europe, and Africa.

The fruit is unusual in that it builds up hydrostatic pressure internally when ripe and shoots the single sticky seed up to speeds nearly 50 miles per hour (80 km/h), an example of rapid plant movement.

There are also several species from Europe and Asia including one of the smallest in the genus, A. minutissimum that lives on its host, Pinus wallichiana in the Himalayas.

In western forest ecosystems of North America, numerous dwarf mistletoe species are considered to be serious forest-borne disease agents.

Dwarf mistletoes have a root-like endophytic system, composed of primary and secondary haustoria, which invade, but do not injure, both the xylem and phloem of the host.

To use this system, the living part of the tree crown needs to be broken up into 3 sections, (top, middle, bottom).