166 



LORANTHACE^:. 



[CLASS 



Mistletoe is the only representative of this Family of 

 woody parasites in Britain, which in the tropics are 

 numerous, including many species with large and brilliant 

 flowers. 



OBSERVE a cross section through the attachment of 

 Mistletoe to its stock ; it shows the intimate union, with- 

 out intermingling, of the tissues of parasite and prey : the 

 viscous tissue of the ripe pericarp, which secures the 

 adhesion of the seed to the bark of trees when con- 

 veyed by birds. In germinating the radicle penetrates 

 the bark, forming a kind of rhizomatous root, which 

 applies itself to the young alburnum of the stock, preying 

 upon the ascending sap, which is further elaborated in 

 the leaves of the Mistletoe. Observe, also, the anthers, 

 adherent to the lobes of the perianth, and dehiscing by 

 pores. 



The structure of the inferior ovary of the Order has 

 been much misunderstood. If cut across, there is no 

 cavity containing an ovule to be seen. This is owing to 

 the circumstance that the sides of the ovary are adherent 

 to the solitary, erect, naked ovule, so that no distinction 

 between ovary and ovule is apparent. The albuminous 

 seeds frequently contain 2 or more embryos, as is also 

 usually the case with the exalbuminous seeds of the 

 Orange. 



Mistletoe grows upon trees belonging to very different 

 Natural Orders ; in Britain, chiefly upon the Apple, 



