Muellerina celastroides, common names Banksia mistletoe and coast mistletoe, is a hemiparasitic aerial shrub in the family Loranthaceae. The species is endemic to New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
Muellerina celastroides is an erect or spreading plant which is smooth except for the inflorescence axis which is covered with minute, brown, densely matted woolly hairs. The leaves are oblong to elliptic and 2.5âÂÂ7 cm long and 15âÂÂ25 mm wide, with a rounded apex and an attenuate base. The inflorescence is a raceme of 1âÂÂ3 pairs of triads, with the stems of lateral flowers being 3âÂÂ6 mm long. The calyx is entire and about 1 mm long. The corolla in mature bud is 22âÂÂ35 mm long. The anthers are about 1.5 mm long, with the free part of filament being 8âÂÂ13 mm long. The fruit is pear-shaped, 7âÂÂ11 mm long, and green grading to light red.
The most frequently recorded hosts on which M. celastroides grows are Allocasuarina, Banksia, and Eucalyptus species, but it frequently is found on exotics and on other mistletoes. An inventory of host plants for Muellerina celastroides is given by Downey.
Muellerina celastroides hosts the butterflies: Delias nigrina, Delias argenthona, Hypochrysops digglesii, Ogyris abrota, Ogyris zosine and Candelides margarita.
The species was first described by Franz Sieber in 1829 as Loranthus celastroides. It was redescribed by van Tieghem in 1895 as Muellerina celastroides.