PRESENCE OF MISTLETOE (Viscum album L.) ON URBAN TREES OF SARAJEVO
UDK 582.728.4:630*27(497.6 Sarajevo) This paper has identified the presence of mistletoe (Viscum album ssp. album) on the trees in the urban part of Sarajevo. The mistletoe is a semi-parasitic flowering plant, which grows on a large number of hosts. In general, mistletoes are specialized species, which parasite only on particular trees and shrub species. They cause the dying of different forest species and the decorative trees. As for the forests in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the most important is mistletoe on fir (V. album ssp. abietis), while in terms of fruit trees and trees in urban areas, the mistletoe particularly grow on deciduous species (V. album ssp. album). Researches for the purpose of this paper were effectuated in 2008 in the area of municipality Novo Sarajevo. Mistletoe (V. album ssp. album) has been identified on 37 infected trees, or on 12 species belonging to 5 families and 7 genera. The analysis of number of shrubs in the crowns of infected trees identified the intensity of the infection by this semi-parasitic species. The mistletoe is a primary harmful agent on urban trees and shrubs. Larger number of mistletoe shrubs exhausts the infected host, and it makes the host suitable for the attack by other secondary harmful insects and pathogens. Thus, it is recommended to remove the mistletoe shrubs, even in early stage of development of disease, while the trees are still infected (1-2 shrubs) to a lesser degree.