MISTLETOE, a popular name for several related shrubs parasitic upon various deciduous trees, such as apple, thorn, maple, poplar, locust, linden, but rarely oak. The European or com mon mistletoe (Viscum album) of the natural order Loranthacete, is the one referred to in poetry and prose but a relative named Phora dendron flavescens is the species most com monly found at Christmas time in the markets of America. The former, which is common almost throughout Europe, is an evergreen, bifurcately branched shrub, with opposite. al most sessile, oblong, leathery leaves; incon spicuous flowers in small terminal heads or in the angles of the branches, the pistillate and staminate flowers upon separate plants; and whitish, translucent, glutinous berries about a quarter of an inch in diameter. The stickiness serves to attach the berries to the host plant until germination is complete, the sprout, it is said, always turning toward the point of attach ment. The American or false mistletoe is simi
lar in habit and appearance, and has fallen heir to some of the traditions and functions of its European cousin, especially the Christmas prac tice of kissing under a suspended sprig. An ciently the European species was held to be sacred by the Druids and the Germans, and by the Celts was credited with magical properties, references to all of which are frequent in liter ature. Its formerly reputed value in medicine has also passed away. Several other species are well known, especially the fragrant flow ered Loranthus odoratus, and L. europceus; the latter being distinguished for its racemes of flowers and its trequent appearance upon oak trees. The common Amencan species men tioned above ranges from New Jersey to Indi ana and southward to Florida and Texas. Several related species are found on the Pacific coast.