MISTLETOE 219 



three species are as follows : A. campestre has much 

 smaller, hairy (not green) buds and leaves than either of 

 the others ; its flowers are in erect corymbs, and its fruit- 

 wings divaricating at nearly right angles with the direction 

 of the pedicel ; its bark is pale tawny, corky and fissured 

 (see p. 185), and it has latex. A. Pseudo-Platanus has the 

 flowers in pendulous racemes, no latex, the bark scaly (see 

 p. 180) and the wings of the fruit diverging at about 45° 

 from the direction of the pedicel; while A. platanoides 

 has deep grey fissured bark, flowers in loose erect corymbs, 

 milky latex, and the wings directed less forwards. 



The greenish buds of the latter two species remind 

 one of those of species of Pyrus, but in these they are 

 alternate, whereas in Acer they are opposite. 



II. SHRUBS OR BUSHES, WITH SEVERAL OR MANY 

 BRANCHES FROM THE COMMON STOCK INSTEAD 

 OF A SINGLE STEM. 



(1) Evergreen parasitic epiphyte, entirely sup- 

 ported on other plants into which its roots 

 penetrate. 



Viscum album, L. Mistletoe. A small, rounded, yel- 

 lowish-green bush, 1 — 3 feet high, with opposite coriaceous 

 leaves and dichotomous branches, never rooted in soil but 

 on various trees, of which Poplars, Lime, Apple, Pear and 

 Hawthorn are the commonest ; but also occurring on Silver 

 Fir, Elm, Willows, Hornbeam, Beech, Robinia, Chestnut 

 and Pyrus Soj^bus. It is rarely found ou Spruce, Scots 

 Pine or other species of Pinus, and extremely seldom on 

 Oak. Usually recognisable in winter by the white viscid 

 berries. Branches smooth, green, and with no true bark. 



