VISCUM 
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Family 2. LORANTHACEAE 
Loranthaceae [D. Don Prodr. FI. Nepal. 142 (1825) nomen] Lindley Nat. Syst. ed. 2, 49 (1836); 
Engler in Pflanzenfam. iii, pt. i, 156 (1894); Ascherson und Graebner Syn. iv, 664 (1912). 
Hemiparasitic, evergreen shrubs or undershrubs. Laminae rather thick, usually opposite and 
exstipulate. Inflorescence usually in small cymes of 2 or 3 flowers. Flowers monoclinous or diclinous. 
“ Calyculus ” (a calyx-like structure below the true perianth) present or rudimentary or absent. Perianth 
arising from the margin of a hollow receptacle, homochlamydeous, sepaloid (as in the British 
species) or petaloid, usually with 4 segments. Stamens epiphyllous. Anthers with numerous loculi 
at least when young. Ovary subinferior, unilocular, usually with several embryo-sacs only one of 
which is fertile. Ovules not differentiated from the low free-central placenta. Fruit succulent, the 
succulent part being usually formed from the receptacle, 1 seeded. Seed surrounded by a sticky 
substance — viscin. 
21 genera; 520 species; tropical and temperate zones. Only British genus: — Viscum. 
Genus 1. Viscum 
Viscum [Tournefort Inst. 609, t. 380 (1719)] L. Sp. PI. 1023 (1753) et Gen. PI. ed. 5, 448 (1754); 
Engler in Engler und Prantl Pflanzenfam. iii, pt. i, 193 (1894); Ascherson und Graebner Syn. iv, 669 (1912). 
Flowers dioecious or monoecious. “ Calyculus ” absent or rudimentary. Perianth sepaloid ; 
segments usually 4, thick. Anthers sessile, opening by pores. Stigmas sessile. Pseudo-drupe 
spherical or ellipsoid; the so-called “ mesocarp ” white, viscous; the so-called “endocarp” green, 
adherent to the seed. 
About 20 species; old world. Only British species: — V. album. 
I. VISCUM ALBUM. Mistletoe. Plate 112 
Viscum Gerard Herb. 1168 (1597); Ray Syn. ed. 3, 464 (1724). 
Viscum album L. Sp. PI. 1023 (1753); Syme Eng. Bot. iv, 189 (1865); Rouy Ft. France xii, 285 
(1910); Ascherson und Graebner Syn. iv, 670 (1912). 
leones: — Smith Eng. Bot. t. 1470; Ft. Dan. t. 1657; Beck in Reichenbach Icon, xxiv, t. 139, fig. 1—7; 
t. 140, fig. 8. 
Camb. Brit. Ft. ii. Plate 112. (a) Flowering shoots, (b) Staminate flowers (enlarged). ( c ) Pistillate flowers 
(single flower on the right enlarged). ( d ) Fruiting branches. Suffolk (E. W. H.). 
Exsiccata : — Billot, 566; Todaro, 599. 
Hemiparasitic, evergreen undershrub. Stem yellowish green, much branched, up to about 
1 m. high ; branches dichasial. Laminae yellowish green, opposite, narrowly oboval, often about 
3 cm. long and 8 mm. broad, evergreen, many 
falling in late October or early November. 
Inflorescence cymose, of usually 3 — 5 flowers. 
Bracts united to the pedicels. Flowers usually 
dioecious ; February to April. 
The British plant is the var. platyspermum Keller in 
Bot. Cetitralbl. xliv, 283 (1890) = var. typicum Beck FI. 
N.-Oest. 604 (1892). 
On deciduous trees and shrubs; very rarely 
(vide Bull in fourn. Bot. ii, 361 (1864)) on 
coniferous trees. From Cornwall and Kent 
northwards to Denbighshire and Yorkshire; 
not recorded for Scotland or Ireland. 
Dr Bull (toe. cit.) records the mistletoe as occurring in 
this country on the following trees and shrubs : — Acer 
campestre, A. pseudoplatanus , Aesculus flavus , A. hippo- 
castanus , Alnus glutinosa , Betula alba , Buxus sempervirens, 
Carpmus betulus, Catalpa syringaefolia, Cornus sanguinea , 
Corylus avellana, Crataegus oxyacantha , Cytisus labur?ium , 
M. II. 
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