254 



The Flora of Wiltshire. 



1. V. album (Linn.) common white Mistletoe. The word Mistle- 

 toe is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Mis til tan, from mist I, differ- 

 ent, and tan, twig, being so unlike the tree it grows upon. Engl. 

 Bot. t, 1470. St. 8. 



Locality. Parasitical on various trees, especially on the Apple- 

 tree (Pyrus Mains), the Hawthorn ( Crataegus oxy a cantha) , the Ash, 

 (Fraxinus excelsior), the White- thorn (Prunus spinosa), but rarely 

 on the oak (Quercus Robur), Shrub, Fl. April, May, Area, 1 . * 3. 4. * 



South Division. 



1. South-east District, " On Prunus spinosa at Whiteparish," Dr. 

 Maton. "Nat Hist. Wilts." "On Pyrus Malus, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Salisbury," Mr. James Hussey. "In an orchard 

 between Alderbury and Trafalgar," Major Smith. " Landford but 

 only on Pyrus Malus, as far as I have observed," Rev. E. Simms. 



3. South Middle District, " In orchards about "Warminster," Mr. 

 Wheeler. 



North Division. 



4. North-west District, On Pyrus Malus, at Limpley Stoke. Old 

 apple-trees in an orchard at Box. On Crataegus oxycantha in the 

 Park at Corsham. At Notton on Fraxinus. Very common in Spye 

 Park and Bowood on Crataegus. " In the neighbourhood of Chip- 

 penham," Dr. Alexander Prior. The Mistletoe doubtless is found 

 in {Districts 2 and 5), but we have no note of its occurrence. A small, 

 evergreen, parasitical, crowdedly branched, bushy shrub, of very 

 slow growth, pendant from the trunks and branches of trees. Root 

 woody, inserting itself into the bark of the tree on which it grows, 

 and propagating itself as shewn by the late Professor Henslow 

 {Loudon f s Mag. Nat. Hist. 6, 500) by extending between the bark 

 and young wood green filamentary scions, which at intervals give 

 off at right angles other portions of a lighter colour, and these 

 striking into the young wood of the tree throw up suckers which 

 become individual plants. The most remarkable circumstance 

 however in the history of the Mistletoe is its mode of growth. It 

 is invariably found flourishing upon, and imbibing its support, from 

 the juices of some tree, it has never been met with attached to earth, 

 nor can any treatment induce it to grow there. The plant is said 



