662 VINCA VISCUM 



bright blue, produced from April until autumn. Corolla-lobes obovate; 

 calyx smooth, its lobes about in. long. 



Native of many parts of Europe, and found as far east as the Caucasus 

 and Asia Minor. Like V. major, it is found apparently wild in England, 

 but is doubtless an escape from cultivation. It is, of course, easily distin- 

 guished from that species by the smaller flowers, whose calyx-lobes are 

 shorter and broader, and by the smaller narrow-based leaves. 



Var. ALBA. Flowers white. 



Var. ARGENTEA-VARIEGATA. Leaves shorter, proportionately broader, 

 blotched with white. 



Var. AUREA-VARIEGATA. Leaves blotched with yellow. 



Var. AZUREA. Flowers sky-blue. 



Var. FLORE PLENO. Flowers double. 



Var. PUNICEO (purpurea). Flowers purplish. 



All the forms of Vinca minor make excellent ground cover for shady 

 places, but flower better fully exposed. The steins root freely at the tips. 



VISCUM ALBUM, Linnaus. MISTLETOE. LORANTHACE^E. 



An evergreen shrub of tawny, yellowish aspect, parasitic on various 

 trees, usually in the form of a rounded, pendulous bush ; branches smooth, 

 bifurcating at each joint. Leaves opposite, narrowly oblong or obovate, 

 tapering at the base, rounded at the apex; ij to 4 ins. long, ] to i in. 

 wide ; not stalked. Flowers inconspicuous, almost stalkless, and produced 

 in the forks of the branches, the sexes on separate plants. Fruit a white, 

 translucent berry \ in. wide, whose single seed is embedded in a very 

 viscid pulp ; ripe in midwinter. 



Native of Europe, where it is widely spread, and of N. Asia. Jt is 

 found commonly in the south of England, but not in Scotland or Ireland. 

 The mistletoe is frequently cultivated in gardens for its interest and 

 associations, and nurserymen supply it growing on apple-trees. The 

 two sexes should be obtained if possible on the same or separate host 

 plants. It must be propagated by seed, and this is best done by bursting 

 the berry on the youngish bark of the host plant. The glutinous sub- 

 stance in which the seed is embedded soon hardens and attaches the 

 seed securely. It is not necessary to make a slit in the bark for the seed. 



In nature the mistletoe is spread by birds. Whilst eating the fruits, 

 their beaks become smeared with seeds and pulp. Of this they rid them- 

 selves by rubbing their beaks upon the branches. It grows most commonly 

 perhaps on apple-trees, so much so as to be a pest in some of the west 

 country orchards. Although, because of its association with the rites of the 

 ancient Druids, its most famous host plant is the oak, it is in reality very 

 rarely seen on that tree. Nor, in this country, is it common on coniferous 

 trees, although I have seen it abundant on Scotch pine in Switzerland 

 (Val d'Anniviers). But from a list of host trees of the mistletoe published 

 some time ago in the horticultural press, there appear to be few of our 

 native trees on which it will not grow. 



LORANTHUS EUROP^EUS, Jacquin. The mistletoe is the only parasitic 

 shrub native of Britain, but this Loranthus, a parasite also, is found in 

 Central and Eastern Europe. Some years ago a plant was introduced to 



