Mistletoe - Viscum album - Overview - Encyclopedia of Life Learn more about this article Taxonomy Mistletoe is an evergreen and somewhat woody plant, sometimes referred to as a shrublet.It grows up to 1m high, with numerous, regularly forked branches.The stem grows without branching for the first 3 or 4 years. The shoot then branches once per year, so the approximate age of a mistletoe can be calculated by counting the number of forks in the stem and adding 3.The leaves are borne in pairs, each leaf 5–7cm long, widest above the middle, narrowly oval and slightly curved in outline. They are matt yellowish-green in colour and have a distinctive leathery texture.The flowers are fly pollinated and are very small and inconspicuous,appearing from February to April in clusters of 3 to 5. Male and female flowers are borne on different plants. Both sexes have 4 small, yellowish green petals - the sepals of female flowers are extremely small and are completely absent in male flowers.The waxy berries are 1cm in diameter, white and sticky and are only produced by female plants. They ripen in November and December.

Birds eat the berries and disperse the seeds, but the berries are poisonous to humans.As a species, Viscum album is often subdivided into 4 groups variously ranked as either subspecies, varieties or genetic races. These have different host trees, 2 of them on species of spruce, 1 on species of pine and the most widespread on deciduous tree species. Evolution The parasitic habit has evolved separately in several plant families: Mistletoes which are hemi-parasites - plants which take some of their nutrients from the host but are capable of manufacturing at least some of their own food. All mistletoes are shrubs or shrublets, parasitic on trees. Members of the closely-related family Loranthaceae are also hemi-parasites - they may be shrublets, shrubs, lianes or trees, and grow on a wide variety of hosts. Nuytsia floribunda, (the Christmas tree of Australia) is a tree growing up to 12m high and is parasitic on the roots of many plants, including grasses.

Trusted Partner Web Site: Natural History Museum Present in 59 collections Mistletoe - definition of mistletoe by The Free Dictionary Mistletoe - definition of mistletoe by The Free Dictionary (mĭs′əl-tō′) n. 1. Any of various hemiparasitic plants of the order Santalales that grow on the branches of other plants, especially Viscum album of Eurasia and Phoradendron leucarpum of North America, both of which have leathery evergreen leaves and waxy white berries. Extracts of the Eurasian species are sometimes used for medicinal purposes. 2. A sprig of mistletoe, often used as a Christmas decoration. [Middle English mistelto, back-formation from Old English misteltān (tān, taken for pl. of tā, toe) : mistel, mistletoe; see meigh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + tān, twig.] mistletoe (ˈmɪsəlˌtəʊ) n 1.

(Plants) a Eurasian evergreen shrub, Viscum album, with leathery leaves, yellowish flowers, and waxy white berries: grows as a partial parasite on various trees: used as a Christmas decoration: family Viscaceae 2. (Plants) any of several similar and related American plants in the families Loranthaceae or Viscaceae, esp Phoradendron flavescens 3. (Plants) mistletoe cactus an epiphytic cactus, Rhipsalis cassytha, that grows in tropical America [Old English misteltān, from mistel mistletoe + tān twig; related to Old Norse mistilteinn] mis•tle•toe (ˈmɪs əlˌtoʊ) n. 1. a European plant, Viscumalbum, having yellowish flowers and white berries, growing parasitically on trees: used in Christmas decorations. 2. any of several other similar and related plants, as Phoradendron serotinum, of the U.S. [before 1000; Middle English mistelto, appar.

back formation from Old English misteltān (mistel mistletoe, basil + tān twig), the -n being taken as pl. ending] ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Other mistletoes | The Mistletoe Pages The Mistletoe Pages Mistletoe information from the UK, aiming to provide helpful information on many aspects of mistletoes – their biology, conservation, control, traditions, harvesting, medicinal usage and traditions in art nouveau. Most of the site is about the classic mistletoe of northern Europe – a rather mysterious plant parasite, with a complex folklore, and, perhaps, serious potential in medicine. Other mistletoes Other mistletoes There are about 1500 species of mistletoe around the world, and all of them are shrubby plants that grow parasitically on trees. Most grow in the tropics and subtropics, with relatively few species in northern temperate areas. Exact numbers, and their botanical classification system, are both variable, depending on current fashions in botanical naming.

There are, traditionally, two main mistletoe families, the Viscaceae (which includes our Viscum album) and the Loranthaceae, which includes many of the more colourful tropical species. The Viscaceae is currently considered (under the current APG system ) to be a subgroup of the much larger Santalaceae, or Sandalwood family. That family includes many other parasitic species as well as the former Viscaeae species. Other European mistletoes Red-berried Viscum cruciatum in Spain There are a handful of other mistletoe species within Europe. The most striking is the red-berried Viscum cruciatum, mostly found in Spain. It is very similar to V.album, differing largely in berry colour. Europe’s only Dwarf Mistletoe, Arceuthobium oxycedri We also have one species of Dwarf Mistletoe, the mistletoe group that causes so much damage to forestry in North America (see notes on American mistletoes below). Ours is Arceuthobium oxycedri, a tiny mistletoe found on Juniper bushes and trees in Spain and around the Adriatic coast and Greece.

You have to look hard to find this one. Yellow-berried Loranthus europaeus, a deciduous mistletoe that grows on oak We also have one member of the Loranthaceae mistletoes, which are more at home in the tropics. This is Loranthus europeaus, a yellow-berried species that grows mainly on oak trees in central southern Europe. A mistletoe that likes oaks may sound exciting, especially to those inclined to Druidism, but sadly this species is deciduous, so it doesn’t have the cachet of our evergreen Viscum album in winter. North American Christmas Mistletoes Phoradendron flavescens, an American ‘Christmas’ mistletoe There are many mistletoe species across North America, but the best-known are the Phoradendron species, a group used at Christmas instead of the original Viscum album of Europe. American Christmas Mistletoe – not as inspiring as the European version Though allied to Viscum, the Phoradendron species look very different, lacking the symmetrical branching patterns and leaves of Viscum and looking, to be frank, fairly ordinary.

But they do have evergreen leaves and white berries in common, so can be considered a rough match. Their ordinary appearance does cause a little confusion though, and there is some evidence that some Americans now use Holly, a much more distinctive plant but certainly not a mistletoe, for the kissing custom! The American Phoradendrons, often simply known as leafy mistletoes, are southern species, with most of the Christmas supply coming from southern states, notably Texas. Europe’s Viscum album has colonised a few areas, notably in Sonoma County, California, but it is considered a potential forest pest and growing it in the USA is now prohibited North American Dwarf Mistletoes Arceuthobium americanum, growing on Pinus contorta in British Columbia, Canada. Other mistletoes in North America include the Arceuthobium species, or Dwarf Mistletoes. These tiny plants have small scale-like leaves, are almost holo-parasitic (most mistletoes are only hemi-parasitic).and can cause significant damage to forest trees.

US Agricultural Handbook 709: “Dwarf Mistletoes: Biology, Pathology, and Systematics” These mistletoes are so damaging that there are many publications and guides to their control. One of the most comprehensive publications is US Agricultural Handbook 709: “Dwarf Mistletoes: Biology, Pathology, and Systematics”. If you’re interested it can be downloaded here . Agelanthus sansibarensis, a Loranthaceae mistletoe growing on Mangrove trees in southern Kenya Viscum triflorum, an East African Viscum with rounded leaves Africa has hundreds of mistletoe species, with most from the showy Loranthaceae, whose long colourful flowers are a complete contrast to our European Viscum. Viscum minimum, a tiny species adapted to growing on fleshy host plants like Euphorbia But Viscum species occur there too – indeed over 40 species of Viscum can be found in mainland Africa and over 30 more in Madagascar. Two contrasting species are pictured here, the tiny Viscum minimum and the more conventional V. triflorum..

Mistletoes of Africa, by Roger Polhill and Delbert Wiens. Published by Kew Gardens in 1998 The Loranthaceous mistletoes are Africa’s most obvious and characteristic species. There are far too many types to discuss in detail here so, if you’re interested why not buy Roger Polhill and Delbert Wiens’ book Mistletoes of Africa . Published by Kew Gardens in 1998, the book covers the biology and phytogeography of all the African species and describes several hundred species, in both the Viscaceae and Loranthaceae. The cover picture of the book shows the flowers of the loranthaceous mistletoe Spragueanella rhamnifolia. mistletoe | Plant, Poison, & Christmas | Britannica.com Santalales Mistletoe, any of many species of parasitic plants of the families Loranthaceae , Misodendraceae, and Santalaceae , especially those of the genera Viscum, Phoradendron, and Arceuthobium (all of which are members of the family Santalaceae).

Most mistletoes parasitize a variety of hosts, and some species even parasitize other mistletoes, which in turn are parasitic on a host. They are pests of many ornamental, timber, and crop trees and are the cause of abnormal growths called “ witches’ brooms ” that deform the branches and decrease the reproductive ability of the host. Some species are used as Christmas decorations and are associated with a holiday tradition of kissing. Oak, or Eastern, mistletoe plants (Phoradendron serotinum) heavily … © Galam/Fotolia As hemiparasites, mistletoes contain chlorophyll and can make some of their own food. Most tropical mistletoes are pollinated by birds , most temperate species by flies and wind. Fruit-eating birds distribute the seeds in their droppings or by wiping their beaks, to which the seeds often adhere, against the bark of a tree. Dwarf mistletoes (genus Arceuthobium), which are parasitic primarily on coniferous trees, use hydrostatic pressure to shoot their sticky seeds away from the parent plant at speeds of nearly 80 km (50 miles) per hour.

After a mistletoe germinates, a modified root ( haustorium ) penetrates the bark of the host tree and forms a connection through which water and nutrients pass from host to parasite . Mistletoes are slow-growing but persistent; their natural death is determined by the death of the hosts. The only effective control measure is complete removal of the parasite from the host. Numerous European mistletoe plants (Viscum album) parasitizing a tree. … © Dee/Fotolia Viscaceae In some parts of Europe the midsummer gathering of mistletoe is still associated with the burning of bonfires, a remnant of sacrificial ceremonies performed by ancient priests, the Druids . Mistletoe was once believed to have magic powers as well as medicinal properties. Later the custom developed in England (and, still later, in the United States) of kissing under the mistletoe, an action that once was believed to lead inevitably to marriage. Most mistletoes are evergreen and are easy to locate and harvest after their deciduous hosts have lost their leaves in late fall and winter; hence, the plants often are used as festive decorations at Christmastime, especially in the Northern Hemisphere.

European mistletoe (Viscum album) used as a Christmas decoration. © Barbara-Maria Damrau/Fotolia mistletoe - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) This traditional plant of literature and of Christmas celebrations never takes root in the ground. It is a semiparasite that grows on the trunks of other trees. Fruit-eating birds often distribute the plant’s seeds in their droppings or by wiping their fruit-smeared beaks against the bark of a tree. After germination a modified root penetrates the bark of the host tree, and through this the mistletoe extracts water and nutrients from the tree. Mistletoes, because they contain chlorophyll, are also able to manufacture some of their own food by photosynthesis as other green plants do. Article History Mistletoe | Define Mistletoe at Dictionary.com mistletoe noun 1. a European plant, Viscum album, having yellowish flowers and white berries, growing parasitically on various trees, used in Christmas decorations. 2. any of several other related, similar plants, as Phoradendron serotinum, of the U.S.: the state flower of Oklahoma.

Origin of mistletoe Old English 1000 before 1000; Middle English mistelto, apparently back formation from Old English misteltān (mistel mistletoe, basil + tān twig), the -n being taken as plural ending; cognate with Old Norse mistilteinn Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for mistletoe Expand Contemporary Examples We wait for the two to just Eskimo kiss in the corner underneath the mistletoe already. Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants Helen Thompson December 20, 2014 Historical Examples The internes went about in fresh white ducks with sprays of mistletoe in their buttonholes, doing few dressings. K Mary Roberts Rinehart Maida's Little Shop Inez Haynes Irwin Mother: "Well, dear, has Jack kissed you under the mistletoe?" Covered with shining tufts of mistletoe, the branches of the neglected fruit-trees gave no sign of fruit. Adieu Honore de Balzac British Dictionary definitions for mistletoe Expand noun 1.

a Eurasian evergreen shrub, Viscum album, with leathery leaves, yellowish flowers, and waxy white berries: grows as a partial parasite on various trees: used as a Christmas decoration: family Viscaceae 2. any of several similar and related American plants in the families Loranthaceae or Viscaceae, esp Phoradendron flavescens 3. mistletoe cactus, an epiphytic cactus, Rhipsalis cassytha, that grows in tropical America Word Origin Old English misteltān, from mistel mistletoe + tān twig; related to Old Norse mistilteinn Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for mistletoe Expand n.

Old English mistiltan, from mistel "mistletoe" (see missel ) + tan "twig." Cf. Old Norse mistilteinn, Norwegian misteltein, Danish mistelten. The second element is cognate with Old Saxon and Old Frisian ten, Old Norse teinn, Dutch teen, Old High German zein, Gothic tains "twig." Venerated by the Druids; the custom of hanging it at Christmas and kissing under it is mentioned by Washington Irving. Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper mistletoe <3 eyes General: mistletoe Mistletoe (Viscum album) is a white-berried evergreen parasitic plant, often associated with Christmas . The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe originated with the Roman festival of Saturnalia. Mistletoe was considered to be sacred by druids, and is still used in contemporary witchcraft. Often confused with holly, which is entirely different plant. Attempting to kiss someone under a holly is considered bad form. Related Tags: Botanical Electronic News - 444 BOTANICAL ELECTRONIC NEWS Dr. A.

Ceska, P.O.Box 8546, Victoria, B.C. Canada V8W 3S2 HOW DO YOU TELL THE REAL CHRISTMAS MISTLETOE? From: Paul M. Catling and Gisèle Mitrow, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Environmental Health, Biodiversity, Saunders Bldg., Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0C6 Canada catlingp@agr.gc.ca All native Canadian mistletoes are very small plants without conspicuous leaves (genus Arceuthobium). So where does our leafy Christmas Mistletoe come from and what is it? There are two possibilities: (1) The European Christmas Mistletoe, Viscum album L., is sometimes imported from Europe,and (2) the North American Christmas Mistletoe, Phoradendron serotinum (Rafinesque) M.C. Johnston is sometimes imported from the southern United States, perhaps mostly from the southeast as subsp. serotinum (previously P. flavescens, but see Nickrent et al.

2010 regarding the complex nomenclature of this taxon), or from Texas or Oregon as subsp. tomentosum (DC.) Kuijt (Hawksworth & Wiens 1993, previously P. villosum). It appears that almost all importation of Christmas Mistletoe into Canada has been, and still is, P. serotinum from the United States, but there have been a few instances of importation from Europe involving Viscum album. The European Mistletoe (Viscum album) is established in Canada in Victoria, British Columbia (Dorworth 1989, Heide-Jorgensen 2008), but its locations are kept secret, for fear that it would be eliminated as an invasive potentially damaging to North American trees. The plants are said to have been brought over by a returning war veteran in 1945. There were only a couple left in early 2000 and it had not spread. At one time there was also a plant in the Royal Botanical Garden in Hamilton, Ontario, growing in an Apple tree.

European Mistletoe is well established in California where it occurs in at least three counties (Hawksworth & Wiens 1993). Since the two species generally do not occur together in regions covered by floras, there are very few keys that include both of them. The Flora North America volume including mistletoes has yet to be produced. However, the Jepson Manual (Hawksworth & Wiens 1993) does include Phoradendron serotinum and Viscum album in a key. Both are also included in Rehder's (1937) manual of cultivated trees and shrubs. Neither of these however, includes a reference to the major difference in branching which we were reminded of by mistletoe expert Job Kuijt. Using these and other sources as well as the examination of herbarium specimens we have developed a key. Here the characters in each couplet are presented in what we consider the order of their usefulness. 1a.

Stems branching, or forking, into two or more equal parts (pseudodichotomous); berry 6-10 mm in diameter; flowers or berries in small clusters (dense cymes) of 1-5; flowers not sunken into the branch axis; anthers several-chambered; flower parts generally 4 Viscum album L. 1b. Stem branching with a main axis, not forking (percurrent); berry 3-6 mm in diameter; flowers or berries many and in more or less interrupted spikes;flowers sunken into the branch axis; anthers 2-chambered; flower parts generally 3 Phoradendron serotinum (Rafinesque) M.C. Johnston The two species vary in leaf shape, so this is of limited value in identification. A key is available for the three subspecies of Phoradendron serotinum in Kuijt (2003). One subspecies (subsp. serotinum) is found in the eastern and midwestern US, one in Mexico (subsp. angustifolium in Mexico) and two (subspp.

macrophyllum and tomentosum) in the western US. There are also subspecific taxa (varieties) of V. album which occur across Eurasia. The closely related Viscum coloratum (Komorov) Nakai, with its yellow berries, was introduced to Switzerland from Korea in the 1980s and is attracting increasing interest as a source of medicinal compounds (Park, 2000). Outside of the north temperate region, the species used as Christmas Mistletoe may depend on what is locally available and the custom is less well developed. In parts of Australia, it is Amyema sanguineum (F. Muell.) Dans. which is sometimes hung at Christmas. While our Christmas Mistletoes, in the family Viscaceae, have inconspicuous flowers, the Australian plant, like many other species in the family Loranthaceae, has very showy, tubular red or yellow flowers. Since the Australian plant is in a different family, there are many other differences that are less readily observed (Calder and Bernhardt 1983, Table 1, p. 9).

We see less real Christmas mistletoe and more of the plastic product now than in the past. There are probably several reasons for this. All mistletoe for trade is wild-collected and in some places it has become scarce due to unsustainable harvest and/or changes in the landscape. It is still readily available on the web, and most of the product advertised originates in the United States and is Phoradendron serotinum. The former harvest of Viscum album in Apple orchards in England may have been sustainable to some extent and possibly benefited the host trees by keeping the mistletoe plants relatively small. European Mistletoe is also sometimes said to be cultivated. This appears to be mostly for medicinal compounds (Ramm et al. 2000), the usefulness of which is still controversial. Since plants develop slowly, it seems unlikely that cultivation for the Christmas trade will become widespread and profitable. Other reasons why we are seeing less may be the increasing concern over importation of: (1) plants that may escape and affect native species; and (2) plants that are poisonous.

These may not be major concerns because there have been few deaths as a result of ingestion and the climate over most of Canada is too cold to allow the most frequently imported species (Phoradendron serotinum) to survive. However, both species are listed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) among substances determined to be an unacceptable health risk for human and/or animal health (CFIA 2011). At present mistletoes are not regulated in Canada and thus we can expect to continue to see real plants imported for Christmas and weddings. Acknowledgements We very much appreciate the help of mistletoe experts Job Kuijt and Daniel Nickrent in preparing this note. Conservationist Dave Fraser provided helpful comments. References Calder M. & P. Bernhardt. 1983. The biology of mistletoes. Academic Press, New York. 348 p. Canadian Food Inspection Agency. 2011. Appendix A: Substances determined to be an unacceptable health risk for human and/or animal health. European Mistletoe (Viscum album subsp. album) in Canada. Plant Disease 73(5): 444. Hawksworth, F.G.

& D. Wiens. 1993. Viscaeae, Mistletoe family. Pp. 1092-1097 in J.D. Hickman, ed. The Jepson Manual, higher plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley. Heide-Jørgensen H.S. 2008. Parasitic Flowering Plants. Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. 438 p. Kuijt, J. 1969. The Biology of Parasitic Flowering Plants. University of California Press, Berkeley, California . 248 p. Kuijt, J. 2003. Monograph of Phoradendron (Viscaceae). Systematic Botany Monographs 66: 1-643. Nickrent, D.L., D.E. Boufford & J. Kuijt. 2010. (1986) Proposal to conserve the name Viscum serotinum (Phoradendron serotinum) against V. leucarpum (Viscaceae).

Taxon 59(6): 1903-1904. Park, W.-B. 2000. Chapter 4, Korean Mistletoes and other east-Asian populations. Pp. 45-60 in Arndt Büssing, Mistletoe, the genus Viscum. Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam. 266 p. Ramm, H, K. Urech, M. Scheibler and G. Grazi. 2000. Chapter 6, Cultivation and development of Viscum album L. Pp. 75-94 in Arndt Büssing, Mistletoe, the genus Viscum. Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam. 266 p. Rehder, A. 1937. Manual of cultivated trees and shrubs, hardy in North America. The MacMillan Company, New York, NY. 930 p.

A NEW OAK CORTINARIUS DESCRIBED FROM CALIFORNIA ALSO OCCURS ON VANCOUVER ISLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA From: Dimitar Bojantchev dimitar@pontix.com Cortinarius xanthodryophilus D. Bojantchev & R.M. Davis was described recently from California as one of the most commonly occurring Cortinarius species under oak (Bojantchev & Davis 2011). The species belongs to the genus Cortinarius subgen. Phlegmacium, and is a member of the extensive clade of calochroid cortinarii, most of which were previously known as the subgenus Bulbopodium. The species is characterized by predominantly light to dark yellow colors, distinctly emarginated bulb, weak alkali reaction, and association with oaks. Based on phylogenetic analysis of the nrITS gene region, it is placed in the pseudoglaucopodes clade. Despite the diverse external coloration of the members of that clade, the spore size and macro chemical reactions, which are rather well evolutionary conserved characters, remain very similar.

This species is common in California under live oak (Quercus agrifolia Née). In the Sierra Nevada foothills it occurs under interior live oak (Q. wislizeni A. DC.) and canyon live oak (Q. chrysolepis Liebm.). In northern California coastal areas it was collected under tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus [Hook. & Arn.] Manos, Cannon & S.H. Oh). In all the Californian localities, Cortinarius xanthodryophilus grew in association with evergreen trees. There is also a collection from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, under deciduous Garry oak (Quercus garryana Dougl. ex Hook.). [University of British Columbia herbarium specimen was originally identified as Cortinarius subfulgens: UBC F17181, Elkington Property near Duncan, British Columbia, Canada; growing under Quercus garryana. Coll.: O.

Ceska, November 23, 2002, GenBank #: GQ159771.] The description of the species is Open Access and can be retrieved from Mycotaxon 116 online at In addition, the authors maintain a website where they provide exhaustive pictorial treatments of the species they describe. WRITING THE POACEAE OF OREGON TREATMENT FOR THE OREGON FLORA PROJECT From: Barbara L. Wilson, Carex Working Group, 2710 Emerald Street, Eugene, Oregon 97403 e-mail: bwilson@peak.org (abbreviated article was originally published in the Oregon Flora Newsletter Volume 17, No. 1, August 2011) The Carex Working Group is thrilled and relieved! We're done writing the grass treatment for the Oregon Flora Project. Mystified that the work was taking more than a year, friends would say "Writing the grass treatment must be easy, now that the Flora of North America (FNA) grass volumes are out." And we would want to scream.

Writing the Oregon grass treatment has not meant simply stripping all of the non-Oregon grasses out of the FNA treatment. What did we really do? First, we sought to write a simple key to genera. Early leads of the FNA key are intimidating. Very different grass keys from the Jepson Manual (JM) and Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest (H&C) both work, but neither includes all Oregon species. We started with the JM key and consulted FNA to add missing Oregon taxa. Nick Otting and Richard Brainerd ("the guys") tested this key by running all 354 Oregon grass species through it. Students in our grass identification mini-classes gave us different perspectives on the keys, causing us to tweak wording or totally rewrite sections. The final version of the key (number 23!) is much different from the first. For species within genera, we started with whatever key we liked best, from FNA, JM, H&C, or other sources. Poa expert Robert Soreng wrote a key for us to that complex genus. Sometimes there was no good key for Oregon and we wrote our own. Cindy Roche read the draft keys critically, providing many helpful suggestions.

Writing the genus treatments was a multi-step, iterative process. I consulted floras or OFP's morphology database to write treatments for all species. Each treatment included a genus description, key to species, species descriptions, and sometimes habitat, range, and discussion. Once the first drafts for all species were finished, I worked through each genus, trying to understand it. I might modify the key or description, write discussion sections, or add habitat or range. I might note problems needing further work. Then the guys took over each genus treatment. They keyed every species. They rewrote keys, modified descriptions, provided habitat information, and wrote or rewrote summary discussions. Sometimes the draft pages were virtually covered with scribbles, glyphs, and arrows! Then I would rewrite and the guys would retest until we were satisfied. Published technical information was mostly accurate, but not always. Maybe FNA reported awns as 8-15 mm long but we found some 20 mm long. Maybe the lemmas are longer elsewhere, so FNA reports them to be 5-15 mm long, but Oregon's longest are 10 mm long.

Lemmas of Festuca subulata are reported to be "glabrous, sometimes sparsely scabrous" but occasional Oregon specimens have hairy lemmas. We found Cynosurus echinatus and Scribneria bolanderi individuals nearly twice as tall as reported in FNA. We annotated more than 900 specimens from the combined herbaria at OSU. Some annotations confirmed identities; others corrected errors. We were able to remove taxa from the Oregon checklist (e.g. Achnatherum occidentalis subsp. occidentalis, Festuca minutiflora, Hesperostipa comate subsp. intermedia, Podagrostis aequivalvis, and Thinopyrum junceum) and add others (e.g. Agropyron fragile and Thinopyrum pycnanthum). Bromus arvensis made a mess of our key because its traits bridge the gaps between other little weedy bromes, so we were happy when we borrowed the only Oregon specimen and found it had been misidentified. Most of our distribution information came from the Oregon Plant Atlas. When OPA mapped seemingly out of range records, we examined the voucher specimens if possible.

We reported apparently erroneous records to OFP for correction. Embarrassingly, we sometimes deleted observations we had made. We made taxonomic judgments. We chose to recognize Mountain Brome, often called Bromus marginatus, as a subspecies of B. carinatus. FNA recognizes subspecies or varieties of Bromus hordeaceus, Deschampsia cespitosa, and Vulpia octoflora, but they aren't distinct in Oregon; we omitted them. However, we tentatively recognized the controversial subspecies of Thinopyrum intermedium and Muhlenbergia mexicana. Calamagrostis gave us trouble. The FNA key looks simple, but the traits are surprisingly hard to interpret correctly. We rewrote the key in major ways, tested, and rewrote. By comparing specimens, we learned that many Oregon records were misidentified. By the end, the ranges of most Oregon Calamagrostis species were radically reduced, the description for C. tacomensis was significantly modified, and the key cycled back to something similar to the original. We fought our computers.

Faced with spell-checking technical terms for grass morphology, Microsoft Word offered to import dictionaries for "French France" or "Portuguese Brazil." Dick's computer preferred Italian. We refused on the grounds that the treatments were English and we could teach the software how to spell culm, panicle, spikelet, glume, etc. Spurned, the computers refused to spell-check the technical descriptions at all. At last we were done. We had written treatments for Oregon's 354 grass species. (Except Poa - we were still working on Poa). Time to celebrate! We turned our treatment in to OFP. OFP was not excited. We considered this done? Nothing was in OFP format. Hadn't we read the Contributor's Guide? Oops. When we started there hadn't been a Contributor's Guide. Now we spent a month reformatting the treatments. We tried to shorten the descriptions to the recommended 100 words. That was hard, especially in big genera. I cut Elymus descriptions an average of 27%, but they still averaged 175 words. Right near the end, one of us was inspired to include the most commonly occurring named wheatgrass hybrids in our treatment.

Nearly any two species of Elymus, Hordeum, Leymus, Pascopyrum, and Pseudoroegneria might hybridize if they grow together. Each hybrid is variable. We sat down for three solid days of examining wheatgrass hybrids. At last I wrote a key. It might even work. In February we turned in all the treatments for Oregon grasses. Joy, oh joy, oh joy. Now OFP taxonomic editor Stephen Meyers gets to read all 400+ pages. Have fun, Stephen! [The Poaceae treatment will be posted by the Oregon Flora Project at some time soon. We have found that for the Poaceae, "soon" is a longer period of time than any of us might have expected. Mistletoe (Hu Ji Sheng) | Chinese Herbs Healing Chinese Herbs Healing Art of Herbal Remedies Revealed Menu 1 Reply Mistletoe, also known as Hu Ji Sheng in Pinyin, is used differently under different cultural backgrounds.

In the eastern culture, especially in China, it is often viewed as a healing herb that can treat low back pain, soreness and weakness around the knee, arthritis pain, excessive fetal movement, threatened abortion, high blood pressure, etc. But in western culture, it is considered more an art than a science although it is also used medicinally in Europe, especially in Germany. There mistletoe is a symbol of love, peace and forgiveness. In general, people there is accustomed to using them for decorating the Christmas tree or making them into mistletoe wreath hanging in the doorway. What is mistletoe? First off, this is a common name that covers a lot of obligate hemiparasitic plants; secondarily, it involves in several families in the order Santalales. That’s to say, mistletoe plant refers to a group of plants instead of a specific plant. It is characterized by attacking and getting into the branches of other trees with the haustorium and then stealing nutrients and water from the host plants. Medicinally, the species Viscum album is thought to be the best source. So, we are going to focus on Viscum album thereinafter.

When used as medicine, it mainly refers to the dried leaves and young twigs of Viscum album subsp. coloratum Kom. This is a member in the family Santalaceae and native to southern Asia, western Asia, and Europe. However, it is often viewed as another distinct species of Viscum coloratum (Kom) Nakai by the Flora of China. Hence, other names of it include mistletoe, common mistletoe, mistle (Old English), European mistletoe, and more. It is usually harvested during winter and the following spring. After that, it needs to remove thick stem, cut into segments, and then dry or dry after steamed. Viscum Coloratum (komar.) Nakai is a shrub, 30 to 80 in height. Both stem and branches are cylindrical, dichotomous, trichotomous, or rarely multichotomous; node is slightly enlarged; internode of twig is from 5 to 10cm and with irregular wrinkles after dried.

It is with opposite or rarely 3 whorled leaves; petiole is short; blade is thick leathery or simply leathery, oblong to elliptic-lanceolate, 3 to 7cm long, 0.7 to 2cm wide, and with rounded or obtuse apex, attenuate bas, and 3 to 5 basal veins. It is diecious; inflorescences are terminal or axillary in the forked branches; male inflorescence is cymose, and with boat-shaped involucre, usually 3 flowers, the central flower with 2 or no bracts, 4 sepals, and oval anthers; female inflorescence is cymose spike and with 3 to 5 flowers, long ovoid female flower buds, ovoid receptacle, 4 sepals, and papillary stigma. Mistletoe berries are spherical or oval, yellow or orange-red when ripe, and with persistent style and smooth rind. Bloom time is from April to May and fruiting time is from September to November. In China its usual habitat is that broad-leaved forest, alt. 300 to 2000 meters.

It is parasitic on elm, willow, poplar, oak, pear, plum, apple, maple, alder, linden, and other trees. And It is located in the northeast, north, east, central and Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, Taiwan, and Guangxi. Viscum album contains flavonoids, triterpenoids, other glycosides, meso-inositol, palmitic acid, succinic acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, and other organic acids. Flavonoids include rhamnazin, rhamnzin-3-O-β-D-glucoside, isorhamnetin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, 3-methyleriodictyol, 3′-methylerlodi ctyol-7-O-β-D-glucoside, and viscumneoside Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ, Ⅵ, Ⅶ.

Triterpenoids include β-amyranol, β-acety-lamyranol, β-amyrandiol, lupeol, oleanolic acid, betulic acid, β-amyrin palmitate, β-amyrin acetate, β-sitosterol, daucosterol, etc. Other glycosides include syringin, syringenin-O-β-D-apio-furanosyl (1 → 2)-β-D-glu-copyranoside, liriodendrin, butan-2,3-diol-3-O-monoglucoside, etc. Mistletoe benefits In ancient times, it was once considered a magic herb that could protect home from evil spirits by hanging mistletoe on the wall. Today it is not only a popular Christmas decoration, but also a promising medicinal plant for lowering blood pressure and treatment of common illnesses seen in senior citizens or even cancer. Interestingly enough, Britons believe that kissing someone under mistletoe tree during Christmas time will bring him with good luck. This custom is originated from the United Kingdom. But actually it has long been popular in Germany too.

From November, the branches of this evergreen shrub can be used as decorative Advent or Christmas decorations. What you need to do is just to collect a few of them and tie them up with a wide-brimmed arch with red and white stripes. Besides, the history of mistletoe tells us even more. According to mistletoe traditions, regarded as a talisman it can be used to bring good fortune and increase fertility; hanging mistletoe in the room can help prevent bad luck and resist witchcraft while hanging it at the door can stop the witch from entering your house; it was once deemed to be a “panacea” by some tribes in Africa, who believed wearing mistletoe would protect them from injuring in the battlefield; Austrians put it on the threshold in order to prevent nightmares; the British will hang it as ornaments on Christmas eve and place it under the pillow for dream divination; Swedes use it as a dowsing rod to looking for gold mines; in the area neighboring Austria and Italy borders, a saying that mistletoe makes people invisible has been circulating. However, in comparison the mistletoe medicinal uses are more direct and immediate. And here is its pharmacology for your reference.

Modern pharmacological actions of mistletoes 1) It has hypotensive effect; 2) Its injection can widen the coronary artery of isolated rabbit heart, significant increase coronary blood flow, reduce heart rate, and first inhibit and enhance myocardial contractility; 3) It can prevent myocardial ischemia; 4) It has antiarrhythmic effect; 5) It can improve microcirculation; 6) It can decrease platelet aggregation; 7) Its alkaloids have significant inhibition on Lewis lung carcinoma, S37 sarcoma, Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma (EAC), Sarcoma 180 (S180), Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARS), and L1210 leukemia. Sample mistletoe recipes on herbal remedies The Chinese Materia Medica comes to a conclusion that it is bitter and sweet in flavor and neutral in nature. Primary functions are tonifying liver and kidney, strengthening the bones and muscles, expelling wind-damp, and miscarriage prevention. Main mistletoe uses and indications include ache in lower back and knees, rheumatic pain, threatened abortion, and bleeding in pregnancy.

Recommended dosage is from 10 to 15 grams in decoction. Or it can be used in other forms like pills, powder, soaked wine, and fresh juice. 1) According to DU Huo Ji Sheng Tang from Qian Jin Fang (Thousand golden essential prescriptions), it is combined with Du Huo (Angelica Root), Du Zhong (Eucommia Bark), Niu Xi (Achyranthes), Xi Xin (Herba Asari), Qin Jiao (Gentiana), Fu Ling (Poria), Ren Shen (Ginseng), Dang Gui (Dong Quai), etc. to treat waist and back pain and kidney-qi deficiency due to the attack of wind-damp. 2) According to Tai Ping Sheng Hui Fang (Taiping Holy Prescriptions for Universal Relief), it is formulated with Ai Ye (Mugwort Herb) and E Jiao (Donkey-Hide Gelatin) to cure fetal irritability and stabbing pains in the chest and abdomen. 3) According to Yang Shi Hu Ming Fang (Protecting-life Prescriptions from Yangs), it is used alone to heal deficient Primordial Qi and heavy and weak waist and knees after bleeding has been stopped.

4) According to Protecting-life Prescriptions from Yangs, it is matched with Fang Feng (Radix Saposhnikoviae), Chuan Xiong (lovage), and Zhi Gan Cao (Honey Fried Licorice Root) to treat bloody diarrhea, weak tiny pulse, and with no fever and chills. 5) Bin Hu Ji Jian Fang (Collection of Simple Prescription from Pinhu), it is crushed to extract the fresh juice to cure hiccup. Mistletoe side effects and contraindications Is mistletoe poisonous? No, on the contrary it is considered edible in the eyes of the Easterners. Thanks to its amazing healing properties, mistletoe herb and mistletoe extract are commonly used in cancer patients since it is said that they are able to improve survival rate and quality of life.

To evaluate the effectiveness, tolerability and safety of mistletoe extract in monotherapy or adjunct therapy for cancer patients, an experiment was ever conducted and the data on side effects showed that this herb usually had better tolerance and fewer side effects if appropriate dose was used, according to Mistletoe Therapy in Oncology (Journal of Chinese Integrative Medicine: Volume 6, 2008 Issue 6.) In addition, it should not be used during pregnancy and lactation. This entry was posted in Uncategorized on A Modern Herbal | Mistletoe [ Top ] ---History--- Mistletoe was held in great reverence by the Druids. They went forth clad in white robes to search for the sacred plant, and when it was discovered, one of the Druids ascended the tree and gathered it with great ceremony, separating it from the Oak with a golden knife. The Mistletoe was always cut at a particular age of the moon, at the beginning of the year, and it was only sought for when the Druids declared they had visions directing them to seek it.

When a great length of time elapsed without this happening, or if the Mistletoe chanced to fall to the ground, it was considered as an omen that some misfortune would befall the nation. The Druids held that the Mistletoe protected its possessor from all evil, and that the oaks on which it was seen growing were to be respected because of the wonderful cures which the priests were able to effect with it. They sent round their attendant youth with branches of the Mistletoe to announce the entrance of the new year. It is probable that the custom of including it in the decoration of our homes at Christmas, giving it a special place of honour, is a survival of this old custom. The curious basket of garland with which 'Jack-in-the-Green' is even now occasionally invested on May-day is said to be a relic of a similar garb assumed by the Druids for the ceremony of the Mistletoe. When they had found it they danced round the oak to the tune of 'Hey derry down, down, down derry!' which literally signified, 'In a circle move we round the oak.

' Some oakwoods in Herefordshire are still called 'the derry'; and the following line from Ovid refers to the Druids' songs beneath the oak: '---Ad viscum Druidce cantare solebant---.' Shakespeare calls it 'the baleful Mistletoe,' an allusion to the Scandinavian legend that Balder, the god of Peace, was slain with an arrow made of Mistletoe. He was restored to life at the request of the other gods and goddesses, and Mistletoe was afterwards given into the keeping of the goddess of Love, and it was ordained that everyone who passed under it should receive a kiss, to show that the branch had become an emblem of love, and not of hate. [ Top ] ---Parts Used Medicinally--- The leaves and young twigs, collected just before the berries form, and dried in the same manner as described for Holly. ---Constituents--- Mistletoe contains mucilage, sugar, a fixed oil, resin, an odorous principle, some tannin and various salts.

The active part of the plant is the resin, Viscin, which by fermentation becomes a yellowish, sticky, resinous mass, which can be used with success as a birdlime. The preparations ordinarily used are a fluid extract and the powdered leaves. A homoeopathic tincture is prepared with spirit from equal quantities of the leaves and ripe berries, but is difficult of manufacture, owing to the viscidity of the sap. ---Medicinal Action and Uses--- Nervine, antispasmodic, tonic and narcotic. Has a greatreputation for curing the 'falling sickness' epilepsy - and other convulsive nervous disorders. It has also been employed in checking internal haemorrhage. The physiological effect of the plant is to lessen and temporarily benumb such nervous action as is reflected to distant organs of the body from some central organ which is the actual seat of trouble. In this way the spasms of epilepsy and of other convulsive distempers are allayed. Large doses of the plant, or of its berries, would, on the contrary, aggravate these convulsive disorders. Young children have been attacked with convulsions after eating freely of the berries.

In a French work on domestic remedies, 1682, Mistletoe (gui de chêne) was considered of great curative power in epilepsy. Sir John Colbatch published in 1720 a pamphlet on The Treatment of Epilepsy by Mistletoe, regarding it as a specific for this disease. He procured the parasite from the Lime trees at Hampton Court, and recommended the powdered leaves, as much as would lie on a sixpence, to be given in Black Cherry water every morning. He was followed in this treatment by others who have testified to its efficacy as a tonic in nervous disorders, considering it the specific herb for St. Vitus's Dance. It has been employed in convulsions delirium, hysteria, neuralgia, nervous debility, urinary disorders, heart disease, and many other complaints arising from a weakened and disordered state of the nervous system. Ray also greatly extolled Mistletoe as a specific in epilepsy, and useful in apoplexy and giddiness. The older writers recommended it for sterility. The tincture has been recommended as a heart tonic in typhoid fever in place of Foxglove.

It lessens reflex irritability and strengthens the heart's beat, whilst raising the frequency of a slow pulse. Besides the dried leaves being given powdered, or as an infusion, or made into a tincture with spirits of wine, a decoction may be made by boiling 2 OZ. of the bruised green plant with 1/2 pint of water, giving 1 tablespoonful for a dose several times a day. Ten to 60 grains of the powder may be taken as a dose, and homoeopathists give 5 to 10 drops of the tincture, with 1 or 2 tablespoonsful of cold water. Mistletoe is also given, combined with Valerian Root and Vervain, for all kinds of nervous complaints, cayenne pods being added in cases of debility of the digestive organs. Fluid extract: dose, 1/4 to 1 drachm. Country people use the berries to cure severe stitches in the side. The birdlime of the berries is also employed by them as an application to ulcers and sores.

It is stated that in Sweden, persons afflicted with epilepsy carry about with them a knife having a handle of Oak Mistletoe to ward off attacks. Purchase from Mountain Rose Herbs How to Grow Mistletoe: 6 Steps - wikiHow 1 Obtain mistletoe berries. Ripe mistletoe berries are pearly white and yield a glue-like pulp when crushed. Most ripen naturally in October and November and are harvested for Christmas arrangements. However, some don't ripen until the springtime, in March and April. Berries that are green or yellow are unripe, and won't produce seeds that germinate as well as those from ripe berries. You'll need at least 24 berries to enhance your chances of 1 taking root, because many will drop off the host tree, be eaten by birds, or simply not germinate. If you can't obtain ripe berries in the wild or buy seeds, save a few sprigs with berries from the Holiday season. Keep them in water in a cold room until it's time to plant them. The best time to plant mistletoe berries is in late February or early March, mimicking the natural propagation cycle of the plant in the wild.

2 Choose a branch in a healthy host tree. Usually, mistletoe can be found in apple, lime, hawthorn or poplar host trees. Sycamore trees, crab apples, maples, willows, false acacias, oak, ash, plum, cotoneaster or rowan trees are also viable host trees. Select a branch of approximately 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter. This is the correct thickness, as the bark on the branch will still be thin enough for the germinating mistletoe seeds to penetrate, and the branch itself will be sturdy enough to carry the weight of the growing plant and provide it with the necessary nutrients. The branch should get plenty of sunlight, so make sure it's either high up in the tree or to the side but not in the shade of structures or other trees. 3 Attach the mistletoe berries to the branch. Smudge the berries against the branch so their own pulp makes them stick to the bark. The best spots to do this are the sides or the undersides of the branch. If necessary, stand on a step stool or ladder to reach the branch.

You can repeat this process on a number of different trees to enhance the chances of seeds taking root and yielding in both male and female plants. Be careful to not overburden any single tree. 4 Mark the spot. Tie a piece of wool or twine around the branch where you attached the berries. This will allow you to monitor the progress of any that take root. 5 Monitor the mistletoe plant's progress. Once a seed has taken root, it will grow slowly. Every year, 2 new twigs with a pair of dark green, oval leaves on the end will develop. If none of the seeds germinate, start the process again the following year. 6

Question: Often seen at Xmas but what is viscum album
Answer: Mistletoe