Viscum album

Viscum album is a species of mistletoe, the species originally so-named, and also known as European Mistletoe or Common Mistletoe to distinguish it from other related species. It is native to Europe, and western and southern Asia.

It is a hemi-parasitic shrub, which grows on the stems of other trees. It has stems 30-100 cm long with dichotomous branching. The leaves are in opposite pairs, strap-shaped, entire, leathery textured, 2-8 cm long and 0.8-2.5 cm broad, yellowish-green in colour. This species is dioecious and the flowers are inconspicuous, yellowish-green, 2-3 mm diameter. The fruit is a white or yellow berry containing one (very rarely several) seed embedded in the very sticky, glutinous fruit pulp.

Several subspecies are commonly accepted. They differ in fruit colour, leaf shape and size, and most obviously in the host trees utilised.

• Viscum album subsp. abietis (Wiesb.) Abromeit. Central Europe. Fruit white; leaves up to 8 cm. On Abies.
• Viscum album subsp. album. Europe, southwestern Asia east to Nepal. Fruit white; leaves 3-5 cm. On Malus, Populus, Tilia, and less often on numerous other species, including (rarely) Quercus.
• Viscum album subsp. austriacum (Wiesb.) Vollmann. Fruit yellow; leaves 2-4 cm. Central Europe. On Larix, Pinus, Picea.
• Viscum album subsp. meridianum (Danser) D.G.Long. Southeastern Asia. Fruit yellow; leaves 3-5 cm. On Acer, Carpinus, Juglans, Prunus, Sorbus.
• Viscum album subsp. creticum has recently been described from eastern Crete Fruit white; leaves short. On Pinus brutia.
• Viscum album subsp. coloratum Kom. is treated by the Flora of China as a distinct species Viscum coloratum (Kom) Nakai.

Mythology and symbolism

It has always attracted interest and has been surrounded by a number of myths and legends. In some countries it plays a part in Christmas festivities. It also features in the popular Asterix comic books, where mistletoe collected from oaks was considered to have special qualities.

References

• Flora of Pakistan: Viscum album
• Viscum album subsp. creticum
• Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening 4: 676. ISBN 0-333-47494-5