152 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[July 1, 1860. 



MISTLETOE OF THE OAK. 



A CHAPTER appeared recently in a French 

 -^- journal (/' 'Illustration) in which the object of 

 the writer was to solve certain difficulties in respect 

 to the mistletoe of the oak. A correspondent has 

 kindly forwarded us a translation of this chapters 

 from which we have extracted the following remarks 

 — " In a little article on the sacred plants of the 

 Druids we showed ourselves incredulous on the 

 subject of the mistletoe of the oak, and at the same 

 time stated our reasons. Our opinion was at once 

 attacked, and we published the letters of M. Perron 

 and M. Lacour, asserting that they had found the 

 mistletoe on the oak ;* the former near to Visoul, 

 the latter in the department of the Yonne. Other 

 correspondents have since confirmed their asser- 

 tions, especially M. Dessaint, at Chalons-sur-Saoue, 

 and M. Pleuvier, at Constantine, in Algeria. With- 

 out reproducing these letters we admit the evidence- 

 and confess that we were wrong. In a correspon- 

 dence dated from Berne, M. Lafuge states a doubt 

 concerning the identity of the mistletoe found on the 

 oak, with that which grows so commonly on fruit 

 trees. To satisfy ourselves we requested M. Dessaint 

 to forward us a specimen of the oak mistletoe, which 

 he had stated was in his possession. This gentle- 

 man acceded to our wishes by sending us the branch 

 of oak to which the parasite adhered. ' One thing 

 which surprised me,' he said, in the letter which 

 •accompanied it, ' was, that at the time I gathered 

 this mistletoe it was completely stripped of its 

 berries, whilst other specimens of the mistletoe of 

 the apple tree, &c, which I saw at the same time, 

 had large quantities of them.' The results of our 

 examination were, that the wood upon which the 

 parasite was implanted was certainly oak — that is 

 incontrovertible ; but the mistletoe of the cak is 

 different from our common mistletoe. The latter is 

 the Fiscum album of botanists, the former is Lo- 

 ranthus Europaus, which serves as the type of the 

 family of Loranthacece. These two plants resemble 

 each other perfectly in the dichotomous disposition 

 of their branches and leaves, so that, at first sight, 

 they are easily confounded; but the organs of 

 reproduction are different, and separate them clearly 

 from each other. The flowers of Fiscum album 

 have quadrified perianths, and are sessile. The 

 flowers of Loranthus Europmis have sextified 

 perianths, and are pedunculate. The same difference 

 appears in the fruits. 



"Fig. 147 represents the flowers and fruit of 

 Fiscum album, and fig. 148 those of Loranthus Euro- 

 pa>ns. To which may be added that the sessile 

 berries of the common mistletoe (Fiscum album') are 

 white aud persistent until the spring, whilst the 



pedunculate berries of the mistletoe of the oa 

 Loranthus Europtrus) are of a yellow tinge, and 



* See also the records of its occurrence in England in 

 Srin\-OR Gossip, vol. 1. p. 283. 



Fig. 147. Common Mistletoe, Visci/m album.— a. Flower. 

 b. Fruit. 



drop off at the commencement of winter. This 

 explains the surprise of M. Dessaint. The flori- 

 ferous axes were beginning to develop themselves 

 when the fine specimen before us was gathered, 

 towards the middle of March. All botanists agree 

 in describing Loranthus Europceus as the parasite of 

 the oak par excellence. According to Jacquin, 

 Koch, &c, it is not rare in Central and Southern 

 Europe. If it is not mentioned in the ancient floras 

 of France, it is apparently because of its having 

 been confounded with the common mistletoe. 



Fig. 148. Mistletoe of the Oak, Loranthus Eumpcrus.— 

 a. Flower, b. Fruit. 



"If our characteristics, which we are far from 

 giving as irreproachable, are well founded, what are 

 we to conclude therefrom ? That it was not our 

 common mistletoe, but the Loranthus Europeans, 

 which the Druids made use of in their religious 

 ceremonies." 



Nothing now remains for us but to wait with 

 patience, in the hope that some of our corre- 

 spondents will seek diligently for the mistletoe of 

 the oak, and when found, that such fortunate 

 individual will kindly forward us a specimen in 

 flower or fruit, that we may convince ourselves aud 

 our readers of the true plant which is parasitic on 

 the oak. If it should prove to be the Loranthus, 

 another example will be furnished to us that in 

 science, whether botanical or zoological, we should 

 never take for granted anything which we have the 

 power to verify. 



